'Gangnam Style' PSY's $1.6M villa seized over unpaid fines for building code violations

By Phong Ngo November 28, 2024 | 12:27 am PT

PSY, the K-pop sensation known for "Gangnam Style," recently had his 2.2 billion won ($1.57 million) villa in Hannam-dong, Seoul temporarily seized due to unpaid fines for unauthorized construction.

The villa was confiscated by local authorities in May after PSY failed to pay penalties for structural modifications and changes in the building’s use. However, the seizure was lifted last month after PSY paid the full fine, his agency revealed.

Yonhap quoted PSY’s agency, P Nation, as saying: "The unpaid fine was due to a delay in confirming the notice, and the amount has now been fully settled."

PSY stated that he was unaware of any unauthorized modifications when he purchased the villa. He only learned of the changes after a complaint was filed and an inspection revealed the violations.

PSY and his wife bought the villa in 2008, along with a 372 million won office space in the UN Village area. The couple lived there before relocating and renting out the property in 2020.

South Korean singer PSY. Photo from Instagram

PSY, 47, rose to global fame in 2012 with his viral hit "Gangnam Style." Since his debut in 2001, he has become a major figure in K-pop, and in 2017, his album "4x2=8" reached number two on the Billboard chart, making history as the first K-pop album to achieve such a feat.