Wednesday, March 26, 2003 | 11:29 a.m.
An attorney for Celine Dion's husband, Rene Angelil, alleges his client paid a woman $2 million to quiet the woman's claims that he sexually assaulted her in a Las Vegas hotel room, according to grand jury transcripts released this week.
Martin Singer, a Los Angeles-based entertainment lawyer, testified during secret proceedings before the grand jury that later indicted Yun Kyeong Sung, 47, and her husband Ae Hoe Kwon, 50, on extortion charges.
Sung claimed Angelil sexually assaulted her in March 2000 at the Imperial Palace hotel.
The 90-page document outlines Singer's testimony that the couple's former attorney, Joseph Hong of Las Vegas, informed him that the couple claimed Angelil fondled Sung in an elevator at the Imperial Palace and wanted to go to her room.
They threatened to go public with their claims if Angelil didn't pay the couple $2 million, Singer said.
Singer said Angelil paid the couple the money in the form of a check through his company, known as Coliseum Corp.
Sung's attorney, Robert Langford, said he plans to file a writ of habeas corpus asking a District Court judge to drop the charges against his client.
The couple has pleaded not guilty to the extortion charges.
Langford said the "false allegations" made public in the grand jury transcripts are the reasons prosecutor L.J. O'Neal chose to press the charges through through a grand jury instead of having a preliminary hearing.
"It was so they could spill out a one-sided story without the defense having an opportunity to respond," he said. "But we will respond in the writ, and when we do, it's going to be an embarrassing moment for everybody on the other side."
Hong was unavailable this morning for comment.
Angelil never admitted wrongdoing and only agreed to the settlement because he was concerned about his health, which was failing as a result of chemotherapy cancer treatments, Singer testified.
Singer said Angelil was also worried for Dion's health, as she had recently become pregnant through in vitro fertilization.
Most of all, Singer testified, Angelil was concerned for Dion's reputation.
In an example of what he called "hush money," Singer said Angelil was willing to pay the couple "whether or not the claims are true or not ... to keep claims quiet."
But in March 2002, about two years after the settlement was reached, Singer received another letter from Hong threatening to file a lawsuit against Angelil if he didn't pay the couple $20 million.
"This is the first time ever ... a statement was made alleging that my client had raped Miss Sung," Singer said. "And I was very shocked to hear this."
Angelil refused to reach a second settlement with the couple, and the couple filed the lawsuit in mid-March, Singer said.
Arbitration on the lawsuit is still pending.
Sung also filed a police report detailing her allegations. Police closed that investigation without filing charges against Angelil.
Stipulated in the first agreement were several conditions that were supposed to guarantee confidentiality and ensure that the couple wouldn't file future lawsuits, Singer testified.
The couple agreed never to tell anyone about the allegations and to never sue Angelil or his company again alleging any incident prior to March 2000 or they would have to repay the money, Singer said.
The couple were also to turn over any "alleged physical evidence" concerning their claims, which included a half-empty water bottle and a dress, he said.
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