11 Idols Who’ve Become Involved In Seungri’s Sex Scandal
Here’s an update of all the idols who have been directly involved in, or have been affected by, Seungri’s sex scandal:
Jung Joon Young
He was the first confirmed member of the illegal sex-video chatroom.
Relationship with Seungri
Jung Joon Young has been a longtime friend of Seungri as well as an alleged business partner. Back in 2017, an advertisement announcing a job posting for a Japanese Izakaya was posted online. Seungri, Jung Joon Young, and Choi Joonhoon were all listed as the owners of the business.
How he became part of the scandal
Jung Joon Young became a suspect in the case after the news of the illegally camera chatroom first emerged. Because of his history with Seungri along with past incidences where he was accused of filming his girlfriend illegally, he was suspected of being involved in the case.
How he’s involved now
Shortly after, it was confirmed that he was a member of the chatroom and had not only filmed illegally taken videos, he had also distributed them, and created a few other chatrooms. Jung Joon Young was the first member of the chatroom who admitted to being a member of it.
Since the first announcement that he took part in and created the chatrooms, Jung Joon Young has been arrested for his illegal activity.
Choi Jonghoon
Choi Jonghoon is a confirmed member of the illegal chatroom.
Relationship with Seungri
Like Jung Joon Young, Choi Jonghoon has been a longtime friend of Seungri. He has been seen on multiple occasions going to different events and simply hanging out with Seungri and Jung Joon Young. He also became a franchiser of Seungri’s Aori Ramen May of last year. Additionally, he was also believed to be business partners with both Sgri and Jung Joon Young at a Japanese Izakaya.
How he became part of the scandal
Because of his close relationship to both Seungri and Jung Joon Young, there were already rumors circulating that he was a member of the chatroom. These rumors were further fueled by the silhouttes revealed by Channel A News showing the alleged members of the group.
How he’s involved now
At first, Choi Jonghoon denied he was a member of the chatroom and it was later revealed that he had been involved in a couple of DUI cases as well as bribing of a police officer.
While the DUI and bribing case were already bad enough, when the 8 members of the chatroom were revealed, Choi Jonghoon was among them. Jonhoon later apologized to his victims, fans, and his fellow members for his actions while announcing his retirement from the industry.
Lee Jonghyun (CNBLUE)
He was rumored to be the “singer Lee” in the chatroom.
Relationship with Seungri
Lee Jonghyun is a known friend of Seungri, Jung Joon Young, and Choi Jonghoon. The group of friends had been spotted on multiple occasions hanging out together.
How he became part of the scandal
Originally when it was revealed that there were 2 other male singers in the chatroom with Seungri, one of the singers was simply known as “singer Lee.” Since he had a close relationship with confirmed member Jung Joon Young, netizens began to think that “singer Lee” could be Lee Jonghyun.
How he’s involved now
When rumors first began circulating that Lee Jonghyun was part of the chatroom, FNC Entertainment issued a statement denying them. When the members of the chatroom were revealed, Lee Jonghyun was not a member of the group. Although he wasn’t a member of the chatroom, there was evidence that he discussed having sex with women in a conversation with Jung Joon Young. He also later confessed he had watched some of the illegally filmed videos. He apologized for his actions and announced he would be working with the police in regards to the case.
Lawyers also recently speculated that since Lee Jonghyun did not film or share the videos themselves, he wouldn’t be punishable by law.
Yong Junhyung (former HIGHLIGHT member)
As a known friend of Jung Joon Young, Yong Junhyung was a suspected member of the illegal chatroom.
Relationship with Seungri
Throughout the years, fans have known that Yong Junhyung was very close with Jung Joon Young. The two went back many years and were very open about their friendship.
How he became part of the scandal
SBS FunE, who has been spearheading Seungri’s case, made a report around March 11 that Seungri and two other male singers had shared illegally filmed video. Reports at the time labeled one of the 2 male singers in the chatroom as “singer Yong.” Since Yong is not a common family name in Korea, netizens soon began to believe that the singer in question was Yong Junhyung.
How he’s involved now
At first, Yong Junhyung denied any connection to the chatroom. Later he announced that he had had a conversation with Jung Joon Young about illegally taken video although he did not participate in the taking hidden camera videos or the sharing of them. Junhyung revealed that he had gone in to work with the police in regards to the case and later announced he would be leaving HIGHLIGHT.
Hello, this is Yong Junhyung.
First of all, I sincerely apologize to the Highlight members and all of the fans who have had a difficult time because of me because of the past few days.
When I received a call from my agency to confirm the report right after SBS 8 pm News aired on the 11th, I did not understand the point of the issue,and only said that I did not participate in the chatroom. As a result, the agency took my side, and said in their official statement that the reports are false. However, this information was not given accurately by myself. When talking to my agency about the official statement, I said the chats were from 2016 because I no longer have the chat logs with Jung Joon Young in my own KakaoTalk, so I was not able to accurately check the date. I would like to also apologize for causing more confusion because of this.
In the KakaoTalk messages with Jung Joon Young from late 2015 as reported by the news, we drank together the night before and went home. I asked him how he was doing the next day. Jung Joon Young told me that he got caught sending an illegal video to someone. I responded “You got caught by her?” I did not receive a video at that time, but I did receive a different video at a different time. In addition, I participated in inappropriate conversations about this. All of these actions were extremely immoral, and I was very foolish. I treated it as something that is not a big deal, without thinking that it was a crime and an illegal act. It is also my fault for not stopping Jung Joon Young.
Yesterday, I participated in an interview as a witness regarding this controversy. I revealed everything that I know and cooperated with the investigation. While being questioned, I realized exactly what I had talked about in the past, and I was ashamed and felt horrified.
I never participated in something illegal such as taking hidden camera videos or sharing it. In addition, since late 2016, I have only maintained a relationship of simple greetings once in a while with Jung Joong Young. Even though I knew of what was happening at that time, I thought was not a big deal and was too relaxed. I was a silent observer to this serious problem, where my actions could have led to even more victims.
I am very sorry that I have failed to repay the huge amounts of love support everyone has given me, and I betrayed the trust of both the members and the fans who trusted me. I acknowledge the seriousness of this controversy, and I do not want to cause any further harm to my fans and members, who must be disappointed by me. As of March 14, 2019, I will leave Highlight. I will live while reflecting on my life, over and over again.
Once again, I would like to sincerely apologize.”
— Yong Junhyung
It was also recently discussed that Yong Junhyung would not receive any punishment since he did not film or distribute any of the videos.
Jennie (BLACKPINK)
Rumored victim of illegal hidden-camera videos found in Seungri’s chatroom + unfairly blamed for YG Entertainment’s trouble this year.
Relationship with Seungri
Everyone knows that Seungri had a strong bond with all of his hoobaes at YG Entertainment. He had even earned himself the reputation as the fifth member of BLACKPINK as he would often promote them.
How she became part of the scandal
Because Jennie’s relationship with EXO’s Kai was announced at the very beginning of the year and Seungri’s scandal started soon after, some netizens began blaming Jennie for YG Entertainment’s misfortunes. On top of that, when Jung Joon Young’s “golden phone” was revealed, a rumor began that some of the illegally filmed videos involved a girl group member and some netizens speculated that was Jennie.
How she’s involved now
Later it was confirmed that there was no video involving a girl group member on the phone. YG Entertainment also issued a statement clarifying the situation and announcing they would be taking legal action to protect their artists.
We clarify here and now that the indecent online rumor involving our company’s female artist is downright false.
We perceived the rumor wasn’t even worth our response. But since we still see the forged story spreading online, we have come to notify that we will take civil and criminal procedures against the person who initially penned it and those who shared it online.
— YG Entertainment
Jihyo (TWICE)
Jihyo became an indirect victim of the scandal when rumors began that there were illegal hidden camera videos of her in the chatroom.
Relationship with Seungri
Jihyo has only ever been Seungri’s junior in the industry and has not had any known specific contact with him.
How she became part of the scandal
When the infamous “golden phone” of Jung Joon Young was first revealed there were rumors that some of the illegally shot videos involved a girl group member. Rumors were started online when it was speculated that the girl group member involved was Jihyo.
How she’s involved now
It was later confirmed that there was no such video of a famous celebrity found on the phone but Jihyo’s name continued to circulate online. In response to the negative rumors, JYP Entertainment issued an official statement that they would be taking legal action against the rumors as well as making charges for cyber defamation where possible.
Hello, this is JYP Entertainment.
We’ve decided that the rumors that have spread about our artist can seriously damage their image and reputation, so we are currently seeking ways to take legal action against those who created and spread these rumors.
When malicious rumors are spread about an artist, it’s possible to make charges for cyber defamation. Therefore, we are currently consulting our law firm regarding gathering evidence and taking countermeasures.
We ask fans to provide any information they might have so that we can take appropriate measures to protect the artist’s rights and interests.
— JYP Entertainment
Sehun (EXO)
Rumors alleging that an EXO member was part of the chatroom, caused attention to turn to Sehun, who has history with Seungri.
Relationship with Seungri
Seungri has always been open about his love for his junior group EXO and even mentioned them during an interview in 2013. He was especially fond of Sehun as they were both the maknae of their group (youngest member). During various music performances, Seungri could often be seen congratulating or talking with Sehun but there’s no evidence to support that they hung out, or were close friends outside of work.
How he became part of the scandal
On March 12, rumors began to spread throughout various online communities alleging that an EXO member was a part of the chatrooms where the illegal hidden camera footage was shared.
How he’s involved now
Right after the rumors started, SM Entertainment responded that the rumors were false and issued a statement that they would be taking swift legal action against any and all of the rumors regarding their artists.
[공지] 악성루머 관련 법적 대응에 대해 말씀 드립니다.https://t.co/jB9ozvc6L7 pic.twitter.com/vTPncUQ3in
— EXO (@weareoneEXO) March 12, 2019
Hello, this is SM Entertainment.
The rumors about our artists that are being spread online are groundless rumors. The continued spread of these falsehoods is causing serious damage to our artists and our agency.
In response, we will be taking strong legal action against those who have taken part in such illegal acts as writing, posting, and spreading false rumors. We will continue to take strong legal action against such malicious rumors in the future and ask you to actively report to us (protect@smtown.com).
Thank you.
— SM Entertainment
Kang Daniel
After it was revealed Kang Daniel was in a contract dispute with LM Entertainment rumors began to circulate it was because of Seungri.
Relationship with Seungri
On March 3, Sports Chosun announced that Kang Daniel was working on terminating his contract. Originally the news source reported that the reason Daniel was in dispute with his company was because of Seungri. During his time with Wanna One, he was able to meet up with Seungri who later introduced him to a Hong Kong woman who was believed to be trying to lure Kand Daniel away from LM Entertainment.
How he became part of the scandal
Since Kang Daniel had been spotted shopping with the Hong Kong woman who is also known to be friends with Seungri, fans began to suspect that the two were closer than they first appeared. Additionally, Seungri was spotted visiting Kang Daniel during his concert. Because of this, netizens began to speculate that Kang Daniel’s recent label issues were connected to Seungri’s scandal.
How he’s involved now
Despite the rumors surrounding a connection, Kang Daniel’s lawyers put the rumors to rest when they clarified that he had never met Seungri separately for personal reasons. He emphasized that their meet up at the concert was just between a senior and junior of the same industry. He also announced that they have been looking into the rumors and plan on taking any necessary actions once everything comes to light.
It’s not true at all. He’s never met up with Seungri separately or have gone to Burning Sun before.
From what I understand, (Wanna One) had a concert two times, and (Seungri) visited as their senior. It’s common for celebrities to attend other singers’ concerts.”
We’re currently looking into the rumors. Once we have everything organized, we will take legal or any other necessary measures.
— Lawyer Sun Jong Moon
Lee Hong Ki (FTISLAND)
Lee Hong Ki was rumored to be the “Lee” in the chatroom.
Relationship with Seungri
Although Lee Hong Ki does not have a strong relationship with Seungri or Jung Joon Young, he does have a connection with Choi Jonghoon. Before FNC Entertainment announced Choi Jonghoon’s contract termination, he was in the band FTISLAND with Lee Hong Ki.
How he became part of the scandal
Since Lee Hong Ki was bandmates with Choi Jonghoon who was one of the first suspected members of the chatroom, netizens also began to suspect that Lee Hong Ki was involved as well. Netizens also suspected his involvement because a singer only known by the name “Lee” was reported to be part of the chatroom.
How he’s involved now
On March 12, SBS FunE reporter Kang Kyung Yoon clarified rumors that Lee Hong Ki was in the illegal camera chatroom. Kang Kyung Yoon was the reporter who initially published the reports regarding the chatroom and revealed that the “Lee” was not Lee Hong Ki but a member of a different group. Lee Hong Ki also personally reassured fans with messages posted on his social media accounts.
Zico
Rumors surrounded Zico’s involvement in the case after videos resurfaced about Jung Joon Young’s “golden phone.”
Relationship with Seungri
Zico has been a long-time friend of Jung Joon Young. The two were known to hang out together often and Zico was even the one that first made reference to Jung Joon Young’s “golden phone.”
How he became part of the scandal
Soon after Jung Joon Young was first accused of sharing the secret sex cams, old footage from an episode of Radio Star resurfaced. In the video from 2016, Zico revealed that Jung Joon Young had a “golden phone” that he used solely for KakaoTalk. Not only did this convince netizens that Jung Joon Young was involved, but rumors also began to spread that Zico was too.
How he’s involved now
Since the rumors started, Zico has maintained that he is not involved in the chatroom case and he was not named as one of the 8 members of the chatroom. Additionally, he has also stated that the “golden phone” he referred to in the past had nothing to do with the case while stating he would take strong legal action against the continued spread of the rumors.
The phone that I mentioned on the show had nothing to do with this unfortunate case. All I saw on that phone was a list of phone numbers, and I haven’t contacted Jung Joon Young on a personal level in a very long time. Please don’t make any rash assumptions, and regarding the malicious comments and spreading of false information, I will take strong actions against them.
— Zico
Roy Kim
Roy Kim was originally suspected of being one of the members of the infamous illegal camera chatroom.
Relationship with Seungri
Roy Kim was longtime friends with both Seungri and Jung Joon Young. In the past, he had posted photos of outings together with Seungri and had even co-starred on an episode of Celebrity Bromance with Jung Joon Young. He was also reportedly friends with Choi Jonghoon.
How he became part of the scandal
Netizens first suspected he could be involved in the scandal because of his well-known friendship with Jung Joon Young and Seungri and the fact that a “Mr. Kim” was revealed to be part of the chatroom.
How he’s involved now
Shortly after the rumors began, they ended. The rumors were officially laid to rest when all 8 of the chatroom members were revealed and the “Mr. Kim” who netizens believed to be Roy Kim turned out to be a former club MD.
