YONHAP NEWS

'G.I. Joe' star Lee Byung-hun locked in legal fight with ex-girlfriend

SEOUL, Dec. 10 (Yonhap) -- South Korean actor Lee Byung-hun, who made a successful Hollywood debut this year with "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra," is facing a legal battle with his ex-girlfriend, who is claiming mental suffering from the actor's false promise of marriage.

The Canadian-Korean rhythmic gymnast, identified by her family name Kwon, filed criminal charges over Lee's alleged habitual gambling with the Seoul Central District Court Thursday, a day after she legally accused him of having caused her mental distress.

Gambling is prohibited by law in South Korea unless conducted in authorized places.

   Kwon, who claims to have met Lee in Canada last year and dated him until this spring, is seeking 100 million won (US$87,000) in compensation for the alleged physical and mental suffering caused by Lee.

   Actor Lee, who is currently starring in the KBS big-budget TV series "Iris," has admitted to having a relationship with the woman, but denied her accusations.

   Lee said he will go to court to defend himself from the lawsuit and has asked prosecutors to investigate Kwon's false accusations, according to his agent BH Entertainment.

   "I have never done anything I should be ashamed of as a public figure," the actor said in a press release. "I will fight these vicious accusations through the law."

   Earlier Wednesday, the actor claimed that anonymous men contacted him earlier this year, threatening to expose his relationship with Kwon unless he paid them 2 billion won.

   Kwon claims she left behind her career and family in Canada and moved to Korea to continue seeing Lee, who began to ignore her.

   Lee is considered a leading actor in the South Korean film industry, as the winner of dozens of awards for his roles in "Joint Security Area (2000)," "Bittersweet Life (2005)," and "The Good, the Bad and the Weird (2008)," among others.

   In "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra," the first episode in the live-action adaptation of the classic U.S. comic book, Lee played Storm Shadow, a role for which he was praised by critics.

   hayney@yna.co.kr
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