K-Pop star Seungri, a member of the South Korean boy band Big Bang, has found himself in the hot seat again as he faces official charges of “supplying prostitutes” through his Seoul club, Burning Sun. Though he denies all charges, the 28-year-old musician says he has decided to retire from show business in order to protect the reputation of the band and their backing entertainment agency, YG Entertainment.
“At this point, I think it would be best if I retire from the entertainment industry,” the singer announced in a statement on Instagram, where he also mentioned that he would be “investigated diligently.” The decision to step away came after police raided the club Sunday night. If convicted, Seungri could incur a three-year jail sentence. “We booked Seungri and changed his status to that of a suspect in order to issue a search and seizure warrant and clear [Seungri] of the suspicions,” a police spokesman said during a recent press conference.
These latest events are the culmination of an ongoing investigation into the club, which began late January after a video of an assault taking place on the property circulated online. Since then, the police have alleged that staff supplied drugs to patrons and bribed VIP investors with sex workers. A series of text messages confirming as much were also released in February, which appear to show Seungri conversing with three other people about the potential bribery. This doesn’t exactly do the pop star any favors.
The remaining Big Bang members are currently completing their mandatory military service, which Seungri was due to begin in two weeks. Clearly, this might shift some things.
[Via Variety]
26 Comments
Since then, the police have alleged that staff supplied drugs to patrons and bribed VIP investors with sex workers. Sounds like Korea has really gone Hollywood.
First they culturally appropriate our music, and now our business model? Not acceptable!
I don’t think Hollywood has anything on the Kpop idol farm system.
They’re just copying the same model that Lou Perlman used. N-Sync, Backstreet Boys, O-town, LFO, Innosense, etc…
I’m always surprised when a J-Pop/K-Pop act turns out not to be a front for a prostitution ring.
America didn’t invent luring wealthy men with intoxicants and sex. Just rock N roll, comics and jazz.
…. are you f’in…. I JUST GOT ADDICTED TO “1,2,3″ T_T I blame myself for this. I’m the reason we can’t have nice things.
Mandatory Military service at 28? I mean that is still pretty young but far outside the usually 18 to 21 year olds you want for that sorta thing
It’s all good. He had one-hundred-twenty doctor’s notes.
I believe 28 may be the age that all possible deferments are used up and there are no more excuses left. One K-drama recently ended several episodes short because its lead actor had hit magic number and was abruptly called up for service.
Not sure how he thinks he’s “protecting Big Bang’s reputation” considering that both TOP and G-Dragon have had drug scandals in the past couple years (and for those not familiar, a drug scandal in South Korea is actually a huge deal; essentially even smoking pot is about the same level as an American celebrity with a heroin addiction).
I recall reading that a surprisingly large percentage of young Korean women have… what’s the correct phrase… monetized their sexuality. 29 year old Korean actress Jang Ja-yeon committed suicide a decade ago after accusing her management of pimping her out to more than thirty high profile men, including corporate executives, newsmen and directors. With the recent rise of the #MeToo movement in Korea women are calling for the Jang case to be reopened and investigated.
So did K-pop star G.Na. She left the business amidst a prostitution scandal:
http://www.asianjunkie.com/2017/09/13/g-na-returns-19-months-after-prostitution-scandal-for-which-her-story-may-have-been-legit/
This normal helps you get fame in America
This will actually help Big Bang’s reunion tour. The other members will pitch it as “carrying on without him”, making sure they strike the right tone of shock that he was involved in all this and how they miss him and look forward to his return. All without actually having to work with again, because either he serves time in jail or he serves in the military, and that’s a few years before he can return to the stage, so by that time, Big Bang will have gobe their separate ways once more (it’s hard to be a boy band when you’re all in your 30’s). Then Seungri gets out, returns to make amends with a new album that showcases his maturity and growth, his tour for that album is a huge success, and positions him for a long run at a solo career.
It seems to me that K-pop’s boy/girl band rules are kind of at a right angle to Western boy/girl bands. For one, some older acts have reformed to significant success, e.g. Sechs Kies who are all 40ish. For another, everyone lost their shit when TOP got arrested just for smoking pot and banging a ‘trainee’. I am not sure that they can milk a reunion tour in the same way that a Western act might.
Seriously, this isn’t a rock act in the West that can just get past scandal.This is it for the group at least with Seungri. Dump him, they’ve got a chance.
He was supposed to start enlistment this week but now? The VIPs won’t care, of course. But this is gonna hurt.
It’s not a sex scandal.It’s a drugs, rape, and prostitution scandal. Don’t make it sound cute.
Weird. That’s totally not the face of someone whose nightclub might be anything less than aboveboard.
Koreans torture dogs to death to eat, so giving business to prostitutes is not even something they should be whining about.
Looking for someone to explain who this is, what is K-pop, and why Sheldon Cooper is involved.
That idol singers and wannabe idol singers are forced into becoming escorts for Korea’s wealthy corporate scumbags has long been an open secret. Parents who sign off on their daughters and sons joining the idol industry for fleeting fame and wealth that rarely manifests are just as guilty as the record executives.
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This reminds me of my time in China. The KTV bars were rife with this shit… I’ve already said too much.
Something tells me a vital clue may have been cunningly encrypted into the club’s name…..