READ THIS. (Profile edited July 31st, 5:53 am)


Violinist Eugene Park Detained, Abused By Former Manager?

by Robert Koehler on July 31, 2009

Remember Eugene Park?

Well, recent video footage of the former violin prodigy performing has shocked Korean cyberland and added to rumors that he was imprisoned and abused by his former manager, reports the Ilgan Sports.

See for yourself. His first concert in Korea in 1998:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyALV4N-Oho

And last October:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WvOM5jXCYks


Now, I’m not an expert on the violin, but that’s a drop-off almost as bad as Jefferson Airplane’s. Maybe even Chicago’s.

Needless to say, the second video has netizens wondering if Park was psychologically damaged from being violently confined.

Adding to the rumors is a recent interview the CEO of his current management company, Lee Sang-jo, gave to Money Today’s Star News (re-reported in the Dong-A Ilbo) that the suspicions about him being confined and abused were largely true, but the suspicions involved his previous management. Lee also said Park was detained for 10 months by his former manager in an inn behind Gunpo Police Station, between February and November 2008.

He added that Park was screwed out of about 500 million won for his performances, and that in fact, the performer hasn’t received a cent since the beginning of his contract. Even after Park switched agents, his former manager refused to return his 300 million won violin in order to get him to perform at some remaining events.

If it makes anyone feel better, Lee said Park was taken to Chuncheon to recover, and that he was back to normal this April. Park, who returned briefly to the United States, will be performing again on Aug 2 in Seoul.

Interestingly, in December last year, police in Gunpo opened an investigation into Park’s disappearance, but they said the accusations were groundless (or so said Ilgan Sports). Lee’s comments obviously run counter to this. The Dong-A piece, however, says his old manager was also arrested on June 26 on charges that he sexually assaulted a new female singer, which he videotaped and threatened to share. Charming.

Somebody wrote about Park’s alleged troubles in Korean Beacon, too.

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(Kia / Shawny here talking now.) This makes me feel so sick to my stomach, I'm serious. Eugene Park, a alumni of Julliard, with so much talent was taken advantage of by the person who is supposed to help him. I may not be a fan of him or play classical violin (I play classical on the piano, however), but you can see that he is not the same from his 1998 concert to more recently.

He has/had light autism and bipolar disorder, which was/has been made worse by the mistreatment by his former management. You can read a written editorial here; http://www.koreanbeacon.com/2009/07/29/whats-happening-to-eugene-park/ There is a campaign for him, "Please Help Eugene Park", with its goals on getting the story out, getting justice served to the abusers, and getting back the money which his management at the time had stolen from him, which is 500 million won ($500,000 USD). If you can help get the word out, it is very much appreciated.