Jung Joon Young, Choi Jonghoon, And Yuri's Brother Sentenced To 4-6 Years Imprisonment

This article is part of our coverage of Burning Sun Scandal. You can read more and view the entire timeline here.

Jung Joon Young, Choi Jonghoon (former member of FT ISLAND), and Kwon Hyuk Joon (older brother of Girls’ Generation’s Yuri) were sentenced to imprisonment after their 1st trial.

The Seoul Central District Court sentenced Jung Joon Young to 6 years in prison for violating the Sexual Violence Crimes law by illegally taking and sharing sex cams. Choi Jonghoon was sentenced to 5 years for rape.

They are also ordered to complete 80 hours of sexual assault therapy rehabilitation and are forbidden from working in facilities related to children and youth for 5 years. Their claims for probations were also dismissed.

The court ruled both of the guilty for gang raping multiple women after judging that the credibility of the victims’ statements and the chat log evidence were valid.

Both of the defendants claim that the victims were not unconscious and that they had consented to sex. Choi Jonghoon claims that he did not have sex with them at all.

However, there were evidences in the KakaoTalk chatroom where Jung Joon Young revealed he had sex with Choi Jonghoon. From the evidence, we were able to rule that Jung Joon Young and Choi Jonghoon raped women who were drunk and unconscious.

— Presiding Judge

The judiciary announced they they had considered the influence the defendants had on society and the extent of their severe crimes that they’ve committed onto the victims.

Jung Joon Young and Choi Jonghoon were popular singers, so they held a sense of responsibility to society for their influence and fame.

But they and their group of celebrity and non-celebrity friends committed sexual offenses against several women, including gang rape, semi-rape, sexual assault, taking illegal sex cams and sharing it in the chat room. They viewed women as simple tools for sexual pleasure.

The victims’ trauma is untreatable, and they demand a severe punishment for the defendants’ crimes.

— Presiding Judge

They reiterated the crimes Jung Joon Young faced but noted that he had confessed to his crimes and showed signs of reflection. They had taken it all into consideration for their sentencing.

Jung Joon Young gang raped the victims, took illegal videos and uploaded them to the chat room. It was so severe that it would be impossible to imagine how much pain the victims would be suffering if they knew later on.

This is his first offense, and he has confessed to his crimes and show signs of reflection.

— Presiding Judge

They noted that Choi Jonghoon, however, did not show signs of reflection and that was also considered for his sentencing.

Choi Jonghoon gang raped intoxicated victims and does not show signs of reflection. We took into consideration that this was his first offense in this nature.

— Presiding Judge

Kwon Hyuk Soo was also found guilty of participating in the sexual assault and illegal chatroom activities and was sentenced to 4 years in prison. Two other defendants were sentenced to 5 years in prison and 2 years probation.

Jung Joon Young and his chatroom members were charged with raping unconscious women, taking illegal footages of them, sharing the videos with others, and degrading women.

Jung Joon Young and Choi Jonghoon had reportedly stayed silent with a dark expression throughout the trial as they let out a deep sigh multiple times. Once the judge announced their punishments, both burst into tears and kept their head down while being detained.