Seungri’s Scandal: Here’s Everything We Know So Far
On November 24, 2018, a man named Kim Sang Kyo was reportedly assaulted at the Burning Sun, a Gangnam club owned by BIGBANG‘s Seungri, after he stepped in to help a woman who was being sexually harassed. Kim Sang Kyo first went public about the assault on Bobaedream, an online community.
On November 24 at Burning Sun, a woman who was being sexually harassed grabbed my shoulder and hid behind me. I asked a security guard for help, but I ended up getting beat up by the security guards and people who seemed like their friends.
– Kim Sang Kyo
Kim Sang Kyo later sent a petition to The Blue House, where he told his side of the story again in detail.
Hello, my name is Kim Sang Kyo, a 28-year-old citizen of South Korea.
On Saturday, November 24, 2018, I went to a club called “Burning Sun” in Gangnam and reserved a table to celebrate the birthday of a friend who’s helping me with the interior design of my advertisement-project.
We were on our way out after drinking 3 bottles of champagne, when a woman jumped out from a table on my right and hid behind me, while grabbing onto my left shoulder. Immediately, a man’s arm reached out from the table and tried to pull the woman by grabbing her between her armpits and breasts.
She held onto me as she tried to resist. As a reflex, I grabbed onto the man’s arm and looked at the man (Burning Sun’s manager). As soon as I looked, he threw a punch in my direction. I avoided the punch, held onto both of the man’s arms, and called a bodyguard for help.
However, what I got in return for my request for help was a collective beating by the body guard and the people from the table.
— Kim Sang Kyo
On January 28, MBC’s News Desk revealed CCTV footage of Kim Sang Kyo‘s attack. The video shows guards dragging Kim Sang Kyo out of the club and bringing him to the ground.
The club’s manager, Mr. Jang, punched Kim Sang Kyo, dragged him to the street, and began physically assaulting him. The club’s security guards held Kim Sang Kyo down and helped Mr. Jang to beat him.
They threw me out from the VIP entrance of ’Burning Sun’ and pushed me towards an area that didn’t have CCTV. The man who had an issue with me, as well as the bodyguard and a couple of his friends, tripped me and stomped on me with their feet.
I retreated backwards and was able to briefly call the police through my cellphone at 7:02AM. I didn’t want them to flee the scene, so I went back towards them and screamed at them to not run away. They once again collectively beat me up.
— Kim Sang Kyo
Kim Sang Kyo Is Arrested Then Assaulted By Police On The Way To Yeoksam Police Station
After Mr. Jang and the security guards went back into the club, Kim Sang Kyo called the police and reported the situation. The police soon arrived, but instead of arresting the assaulters, they arrested Kim Sang Kyo. In the police reports, Kim Sang Kyo was named the assailant, and Mr. Jang the victim. The police claimed that Kim Sang Kyo was arrested for obstruction of business, while the club itself claimed it was for sexual harassment.
On the way to the police station, Kim Sang Kyo had difficulty breathing and requested to be un-cuffed so that he could breathe properly. The policemen cursed at him and when Kim Sang Kyo began to argue, one of the policemen punched him repeatedly.
As soon as I asked, ‘What trouble could I cause in this state?’, they said, ‘I told you to shut the f*ck up’. I responded, ‘Why do you keep cursing at me? It seriously hurts, so uncuff me.’
Ahn Hwan Suk then punched me in the ribs, where I said it felt like there was a crack. As soon as I writhed in pain, he pushed me down with his body and hit my shoulder hard three times.
– Kim Sang Kyo
Kim Sang Kyo Is Assaulted By Police A Second Time, Outside Of The Police Station
When they arrived at the police station, Kim Sang Kyo was beaten again outside of the building. The policemen tripped him, kicked his face, and caused his face to collide with the door, which ultimately made his nose and mouth to be bleed openly.
After pushing me down, he kicked me in the face three times with his shoes. In the midst of the assault, I collided with the stainless bottom piece of the station’s glass doors, causing both of my nostrils to bleed.
Three areas inside of my mouth also ripped, which became the start of how my mouth and lips sustained great injury.
– Kim Sang Kyo
Kim Sang Kyo‘s Mother Arrives And Calls For An Ambulance, Kim Sang Kyo Is Ridiculed While Being Filmed By Police
After entering the station, Kim Sang Kyo managed to secretly call his mother. When his mother arrived, she demanded that he be transferred to another branch for investigation, and called for an ambulance.
When it arrived, the police station refused to let Kim Sang Kyo go.
The Yeoksam Station’s Team Leader, Back Kwang Je, and about 20 other policemen gathered to view the CCTV footage.
They kept me tied and incarcerated for about 2 hours. When my mother arrived at the station, she saw my current state and the atmosphere of the police station, so she called 119 and 112 again claiming, ‘I don’t think he should be investigated here.’
The ambulance arrived around 8:35AM, and the rescue team confirmed, ‘This patient needs to go to the emergency room. We have to hurry with his treatments.’ But the police said I was under investigation so I wasn’t allowed to leave.
— Kim Sang Kyo
After the ambulance left, Kim Sang Kyo’s injuries became worse. The policemen filmed him as they ridiculed him.
They kept me tied until 10am, hoping that my bleeding would stop. When my bleeding turned from bright red to yellowish, Sergeant Ha Jin Woong told the other policemen, ‘Take a video of this f*cker spitting mucus so we can jail him for interference with a government official’s duties.’
I screamed at them to not film me but about 4 of them filmed me while laughing and mocking me. For the first time in my life, I felt belittled and shamed.
— Kim Sang Kyo
Kim Sang Kyo Is Beaten By Over 10 Policemen
When Kim Sang Kyo was finally allowed a transfer to another police station, he hurled an insult at the Yeoksam Station policemen, for causing him so much pain. He was then subjected to yet another beating.
Around 8:46AM, I was un-cuffed and set to be transferred to Gangnam Police Station. They cursed and mocked me at their desk, so I took a piece of papeer from the desk, spit blood on it and threw it towards Ha Jin Woong.
‘This isn’t spit. It’s blood because you people assaulted me.’
At that moment, Ha Jin Woong couldn’t hold in his rage as his body shook. He told the others, ‘Hold that son of a b*tch’, as someone kicked me to the ground. Around 10 police officers surrounded me as they kicked me on the ground and handcuffed me again. Around 10 other police officers covered the CCTV with their bodies as at least 5 officers continued to stomp on me like they were putting out a used cigarette.
Ha Jin Woong pushed my head to the ground using his knees and grabbed my hair. He said, ‘Little boy, we’re not going to let you go even if you beg.’ The bleeding from my mouth and nose reopened.
— Kim Sang Kyo
Kim Sang Kyo‘s mother witnessed this beating and tried to stop it by filming the police brutality. A group of policemen dragged her out of the station, stole her phone, then began manipulating the story and CCTV to keep their assault hidden.
Once again, I was assaulted by a group of policemen at 8:46AM. My bleeding stopped around 10:00AM, but I was incarcerated until the police devised another story, manipulated the CCTV, and concealed everything.
Around 10:00AM, I was transferred to the Gangnam Police Station. This was the 3rd assault from the police. (Yeoksam Police Station Police Sergeant Ahn Hwan Suk and 5 more [Assault], 10 Policemen [aiding]).
— Kim Sang Kyo
Kim Sang Kyo Is Transferred To Gangnam Police Station, Where He Witnesses More Police Corruption
At the Gangnam Police Station, Kim Sang Kyo claims that police officers accused him of causing a scene because he was drunk.
The police also called in two of the bodyguards that initially assaulted Kim Sang Kyo at the Burning Sun, but they said nothing about the bodyguards’ blatant threats against Kim Sang Kyo. He later discovered that the two bodyguards lied. They claimed that Kim Sang Kyo was sexually harassing a woman and began causing a scene when the bodyguards tried to stop him.
Kim Sang Kyo was still not allowed to visit the hospital for treatment because he was deemed the “assaulter”, not the victim. After being detained for nearly 8 hours, Kim Sang Kyo was finally hospitalized and diagnosed with fractures in his ribs, rhabdomyolysis, finger paralysis, extreme bruising and bleeding.
CCTV Footage Of A Sexual Assault At The Burning Sun Emerges
Around the same time that Kim Sang Kyo‘s Blue House Petition went public, more shocking news about the Burning Sun emerged. CCTV footage (from December 2018) showed an organized sexual assault taking place inside the club.
In the video, a club employee drags a struggling (and allegedly drugged) woman to the VIP room, reportedly to sexually assault her. The woman reported the assault, but the police reportedly took no action and Burning Sun allegedly deleted the CCTV footage.
Netizens Find Alleged Photographic Proof That Seungri Was Present At The Burning Sun On The Day Of Kim Sang Kyo’s Assault
On November 24, the day of Mr. Kim’s assault, Girls’ Generation‘s Hyoyeon uploaded a photo of herself posing with Seungri at the Burning Sun.
A promotional poster showed that Hyoyeon performed at the club right as Friday (23rd) turned to Saturday (24th). Kim Sang Kyo’s assault took place approximately 6 hours after Hyoyeon’s performance.
Kim Sang Kyo Shares Reports He Received From Informants About Date Rape Drugs Used At Clubs
On January 29, Kim Sang Kyo shared a video clip on his Instagram that asked anyone who has used, been victimized or knows more about the date rape drug GHB. He shared some of the reports he received on his Instagram Story.
Kim Sang Kyo also shared the story of a woman who claims to be a victim of a Burning Sun employee. In a long post, she told the story of how she was sexually assaulted by one of the employees but was ultimately unable to report the case to the police because the club had deleted the CCTV footage.
Seungri Resigns From Directorship Of The Burning Sun
On January 29, KBS News 7 reported that Seungri resigned from his directorship of the Burning Sun the previous week.
An affiliate of the club stated that the business was not under Seungri’s name, and Seungri’s name was not listed in the official statement released by Burning Sun. Instead, the names Lee Seong Hyeon and Lee Moon Ho were written as the CEOs of the business.
Affiliates also revealed, however, that Seungri participated in the management of the club even though he was not the actual owner of the business. In the past, Seungri has emphasized on broadcasts such as I Live Alone and My Little Old Boy that he personally manages businesses that are under his name.
Burning Sun Employees Begin To Speak Up About Drug Use And Sexual Assaults That Allegedly Happened In The VIP Section
In late January, a former employee revealed that the police had recently paid a visit due to an incident relating to marijuana. The marijuana use allegedly happened in the VIP area next to the VIP entrance that is reserved for special guests.
Another employee spoke up about a sexual assault video that was allegedly taken inside the VIP restroom. The video showed a woman, who couldn’t keep herself steady, sitting on the toilet while a man sexually assaulted her.
“The bathroom lights in the video were the same as the ones in the VIP room bathroom at Burning Sun. When the video was first released, the employees also said that it was the VIP room restroom but it seemed like they weren’t too concerned about the released video.”
ㅡ Employee
According to both employees, the club did not conduct any bag searches on the VIP customers and it was impossible to know what was going on inside the rooms. Moreover, club employees who were aware of what was happening likely stayed silent to protect their jobs.
In February, more employees spoke out. One said that he once witnessed a drugged woman being raped by a man in the VIP bathroom.
A woman who appeared to be drugged was completely nude while having sex with a man.
— Employee
Another employee witnessed a man feeding a woman a spiked drink. She soon started foaming in the mouth and collapsed.
Last October, a man gave a woman alcohol to drink. She later fell over while foaming at the mouth. She wasn’t drunk but her eyes were completely out of focus.
— Employee
Despite these claims, a former manager at Burning Club denied that drugs could have been used on premises.
It’s ridiculous to say drugs were used inside the club. If that happened, we would have already reported it.
— Former Burning Sun Manager
YG Entertainment Makes An Official Statement About Seungri’s Scandal
In an official statement, released on January 31, YG Entertainment CEO Yang Hyun Suk, addressed Kim Sang Kyo‘s assault and Seungri’s involvement in it by clarifying the timeline.
Seungri was at the location (club) until 3AM on November 24 of last year, the day of the incident and the incident occurred after 6AM.
ㅡ Yang Hyun Suk
He also stated that Seungri had been subjected to a drug test by prosecutors and the results proved everything to be normal.
Currently, issues regarding drug investigations are being brought up irrelevant to the assault case but Seungri has recently received a strict investigation by prosecutors with confiscation warrants due to numerous groundless reports. Results from his urine and hair tests clearly proved that everything was normal.
ㅡ Yang Hyun Suk
Women Accuse Kim Sang Kyo Of Sexual Harassment
In a shocking turn of events, the woman Kim Sang Kyo supposedly saved from sexual harassment at the Burning Sun claimed he was the one who had harassed her. She used new CCTV footage to support her claims. The man in that video seemed to be wearing the same outfit that Kim Sang Kyo was wearing that night.
[Kim Sang Kyo] kept following me until he suddenly grabbed me from behind, near my waist. I was shocked so I tried to get him away from me.
— Woman
After nearly 7 hours of questioning, Kim Sang Kyo came out of the police station to deny the woman’s accusations. Two more women from the Burning Sun later made similar sexual harassment claims against him.
Seungri Releases An Official Statement About Multiple Burning Sun Scandals
On February 2, Seungri posted an official statement on Instagram. In the statement, he discusses Kim Sang Kyo’s assault video, stating that he was not at the club when it occurred. He wrote that he was “extremely shocked” when he found out about the assault, and he said, “violence is not justifiable”.
Seungri also explained why he became invested in a club in the first place, and talked about how his position differs from management. He stated that he would fully cooperate with authorities regarding the cases surrounding Burning Sun.
Seungri ended his statement by talking about how he will use this incident to learn and grow as a person.
With this incident, I have come to understand the responsibilities and the attitude a celebrity needs to uphold, and I feel very remorseful about this incident.
I sincerely apologize once more to all of the people affected, and I will work harder to show a more mature and thoughtful side of myself.
— Seungri (Lee Seung Hyun)
Dispatch Reveals A Disturbing Group Chat Used By Burning Sun Employees
The following day, Dispatch revealed several conversations from a group chat, where the club’s staff talked about the drugging and raping of women.
In one conversation, the employees used code words to evaluate potential victims before drugging them. “Hitting a home run”, for example, appeared to refer to the successful drugging and raping of a victim. In another conversation, the staff discussed watching sex occur in the VIP room while recording it.
The final leaked conversation may be the most disturbing one of all. In it, one of the directors orchestrates a “home run”. When a VIP is successful in the rape of a woman, they are more likely to come back to the club. For this reason, VIPs were supplied with date rape drugs to assist them in hitting their “home runs”.
A Past Photo Of Seungri Posing With An Accused Drug Dealer At The Burning Sun Resurfaces
In February, it came to light that Seungri had personally taken photos with Aena, a woman who formerly worked at the Burning Sun as a promoter and has been accused of dealing drugs to the club’s customers. Seungri explained that the woman, whom he does not know, asked to take a picture with him.
“I don’t know the person [in the picture]. I was in the club at the time, and she came up to me and asked if she could take a picture with me, so I took one with her. But I don’t really remember exactly what time it was at, or who she was.”
— Seungri
He went on to explain that he often takes photos with fans who ask for them.
The pictures I take with my fans will often end up uploaded on the internet or shared via SNS and other communities. In the club, many people will naturally come up to me and ask for pictures, and I am very willing to take pictures without hesitating or denying requests.
— Seungri
Burning Sun And Yeoksam Police Station Are Raided By The Police For Evidence
Following Kim Sang Kyo’s assaults, a special task force was assembled to uncover the truth behind the incident, as well as other scandals surrounding the Burning Sun. In February, 32 investigators brought out 4 boxes of potential evidence from the club.
The Yeoksam Police Station was also searched for evidence. The investigative team collected CCTV footage, body cam videos, and blackbox videos from the patrol car used to arrest Kim Sang Kyo during that night.
Seungri Is Accused Of Offering Prostitutes To Rich Investors, Investigations Begin
In late February, a conversation that occurred in a chatroom between Seungri, singer “C”, President Yoo of Yoori Holdings and Employee “Kim” came to light. The conversation took place in 2015.
According to the revealed data, Seungri ordered Employee Kim to prepare “the main seat” at club ARENA (a club Seungri frequented) and to “bring girls”. The women, alleged prostitutes, were to be acquired for Seungri’s foreigner Investor “B”. While Investor B was a woman, her acquaintances were apparently men.
On February 25, YG Entertainment released an official statement claiming that the text messages in the reports were fabricated and untrue.
As a result of confirming with Seungri, we’ve found out that the reports in question contain fabricated text messages.
ㅡ YG Entertainment
On February 26, a reporter by the name of Kang Kyeong Yoon claimed that the agency had made a false statement and that the original reports are true.
It’s all true. There’s no reason for us to fabricate or edit the messages that were released. Besides toning down some of the extreme expressions, we didn’t edit it at all.
— Reporter Kang Kyeong Yoon from SBS funE
Soon after news of Seungri’s chatroom conversations was revealed, police began an internal investigation on Seungri for allegedly offering prostitution to foreign investors. The police revealed their plans to thoroughly review the content that was reported in the media as well as the people whose names were included in the text message chatroom.
Seungri Reports To The Police Station For Investigations
On February 27, Seungri reported to the police station to take part in an investigation launched about his recent scandals regarding drugs, corruptions, and offering prostitutes as entertainment. Amidst the news reports, one reporter claimed that Seungri’s gaze was full of anger when he showed up to the station.
YG Entertainment Is Caught Hiring Specialty Disposal Company To Destroy 4 Tons Of Documents And Files
While Seungri was participating in a police investigation for nearly 9 hours, YG Entertainment had hired a specialty disposal company to come early in the morning to destroy company documents and files.
News reporters who were stationed outside of YG Entertainment saw two 2t trucks enter YG Entertainment’s parking lot. The two trucks belonged to a company that specializes in safely destroying documents, electronics, and files without having any information leaked out in the process.
Afterward, one reporter directly called YG Entertainment to ask about their disposal and said that the agency claimed, “It was routine disposal that’s done monthly or quarterly.”
Seungri’s KakaoTalk Chatroom Revealed To Have Many Other Celebrities Involved
On March 4, Seungri’s prostitution scandal took an even more shocking turn when SBS FunE, the original press that first reported about his alleged chatroom conversations, revealed that many other celebrities were part of Seungri’s chatroom.
According to SBS FunE, the chatroom holds tens of thousands of messages and goes back as far back as December 2015, when Seungri allegedly attempted to offer women as sexual entertainment. They also claimed that the chats shed light on clubs around Gangnam, where many celebrities frequently attended, as well as suspicion of cohesion with police.
The original witness who reported the chatroom stated that they decided to report the chats to the Civil Rights’ Commission, rather than the police, because the chats contained possible evidence of corrupt policemen working with the perpetrators.
There are chats inside the KakaoTalk chatroom that made me suspicious about a possible cohesion with the police, so I reported it to the Civil Rights’ Commission rather than the police.
— KakaoTalk Chatroom Witness
Netizens Fear For Burning Sun Reporter’s Life
Reporter Oh Hyuk Jin was one of the first to break the news regarding all of the corruption and illegal activities that happened around Burning Sun. On March 4, he posted a message on Instagram for everyone who has been worried about his involvement with the case, expressing his determination to reveal the truth no matter what.
He wrote that he would not “be framed of suicide or be killed”, which made many netizens suspect that he has received death threats for his refusal to stop digging more into the story. He also revealed that he can’t stop digging farther into the scandal because it’s “more f*cked up and dirtier than [he] had imagined.”
The Truth Behind Burning Sun Assault Is Revealed Through CCTV Footage
Numerous sides to Kim Sang Kyo’s Burning Sun assault story put everyone in a state of confusion, but the truth was finally made public during the first week of March. A CCTV video proved that a man, who grabbed Kim Sang Kyo by his hair, began the assault.
The man, an acquaintance of Seungri and Burning Sun’s CEO, was a VIP customer who reportedly spent $7,000-$9,000 USD on tables each visit. Kim Sang Kyo claimed that the Burning Sun’s CEO and the employees beat him in order to take the bullet for their VIP customer.
When Kim Sang Kyo was being beaten by a group of Burning Sun employees outside, this man could be seen exiting through the VIP exit and slipping away in his car after briefly watching over the beating.
The three women who accused Kim Sang Kyo of sexual harassment, including the woman Kim Sang Kyo saved from being groped, were all revealed to be connected with Burning Sun employees. One of these women is Aena, the accused drug dealer Seungri once took a selfie with.
Seungri Is Booked On Charges Of Violating Anti-Prostitution Law
On March 9, it was reported that Seungri has officially been considered a suspect in the Burning Sun scandal. Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency booked him without detention for soliciting prostitution, and have now launched a full investigation.
In an attempt to get to the bottom of the case and attempt to clear Seungri of the suspicions surrounding him, we have booked Seungri as a suspect for the allegations of him ‘soliciting prostitution’ in order to receive a search warrant for the club ARENA, which is accused of allowing prostitution inside its venue.
— Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency
On the same say, over 20 police and digital forensics agents searched and seized club ARENA, looking for any evidence that may be related to the case. Leaked Kakaotalk messages pointed to this club as being the meeting point for rich investors to meet potential working girls.
Multiple Celebrities Are Confirmed To Be Part Of Seungri’s Suspected Prostitution KakaoTalk Chatroom
On March 10, it was confirmed that earlier news reports about celebrities being in Seungri’s chatroom were true. According to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, some of these celebrities had been called in as a part of their investigation. These investigations are looking to find out what exactly was discussed in the chatroom. Among the celebrities summoned by police includes Mr. A, who was formerly a singer, but now is promoting active on television broadcasts.
At the time that this report was made, the police were still attempting to secure the original KakaoTalk chatroom logs, as they were working off an Excel copy.
Seungri And Other Male Singers Are Accused Of Sharing Illegal Hidden Camera Videos
On March 10, SBS FunE revealed that Seungri and 2 other male singers, who were not named, allegedly shared illegally filmed hidden camera videos of secretly filmed women.
Within the evidence that was submitted to the police, there were more than 10 illegal hidden camera pictures and videos. Some of these videos and pictures were sent in the chatroom with Seungri and other celebrities.
— SBS FunE Source
SBS FunE reportedly confirmed this by obtaining a KakaoTalk chat log from January 9, 2016, starting at 8:42 pm KST. The chatroom contained Seungri, 2 unnamed male singers, Yuri Holdings CEO Mr. Yoo, Seungri’s acquaintance Mr. Kim, an unnamed entertainment company employee, and 2 other people.
Reports later 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 speculating that “singer Yong” was HIGHLIGHT’s Yong Junhyung.
Seungri Announces His Retirement From The K-Pop Industry
On March 11, Seungri announced his retirement on Instagram. His decision to retire stemmed from the scandals that have surrounded him since the Burning Sun Assault case began.
According to a source at YG Entertainment, Seungri’s decision to announce his retirement was made entirely on his own. It was not a decision that had been made after consulting with the agency. This, however, has been disputed a songwriter under YG Entertainment’s sub-label, THE BLACK LABEL.
In an Insta-story, YGM posted a screenshot of a comment claiming that Seungri was “fooling around by telling people that he voluntarily left when he was actually kicked out.” YGM commented, “Real“. Within a couple of hours after his post, YG’s songwriter deleted his Instagram account without any explanation.
Jung Joon Young Accused of Sharing Illegal Hidden Footage of Women in Seungri’s Chatroom
In the midst of Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency’s investigation, it was reported that singer Jung Joon Young was one of the celebrities involved who directly shared hidden footage of women in the chatroom.
According to SBS News, the chat history showed that back in late 2015, Jung Joon Young bragged that he engaged in sexual relations with a specific woman, to which Mr. Kim asked if he had footage of it. In response, Jung Joon Young shared a 3-second clip of the relations and also confessed that he filmed it illegally. Jung Joon Young also shared naked footage and photos of a sleeping woman from a hostess bar.
For the duration of 10 months starting in late 2015, Jung Joon Young shared hidden footage with celebrities as well as non-famous participants, and 10 victims were confirmed at the time this report was made.
At the time of the report, Jung Joon Young’s agency stated that he was currently in the United States and that he would address the allegations when he returned to Korea.
Channel A Reveals Silhouettes Of Celebrities Involved In Hidden Camera Chatroom
Channel A News revealed silhouettes of the alleged celebrities around the same time that SBS News released their report on Jung Joon Young’s involvement in the chatroom. Netizens matched up photos of “Celebrity A” to Jung Joong Young and “Celebrity B” to FTISLAND‘s Choi Jonghoon.
HIGHLIGHT’s Yong Junhyung Denies He Is Other Singer In Hidden Camera Chatroom
Yong Junhyung and his agency, Around Us Entertainment, officially responded to rumors that he is one of the celebrities in the KakaoTalk chatroom where hidden camera footage was shared.
“We have confirmed ourselves that ‘singer Yong’ is not Yong Junhyung. It is a groundless rumor.”
— Around Us Entertainment
The agency stated that the messages from “singer Yong” shown on SBS‘s News 8 program as part of the report were from one-on-one conversations between Junhyung and Jung Joon Young from 2016. They revealed that Junhyung had never been in a group chat with Jung Joon Young.
“Yong Junhyung has no connection to the filming or sharing of illegal videos and has never been in a chatroom where Jung Joon Young’s illegal camera videos were shared.”
— Around Us Entertainment
Jung Joon Young Cancels All Schedules And Announces He Will Take Part In Police Investigations For Sharing Illegal Hidden Camera Videos
Jung Joon Young revealed through a statement from his agency, MAKEUS Entertainment, that he would be cancelling all of his schedules and returning to Korea to begin participating in police investigations.
In the statement, MAKEUS Entertainment revealed how even they did not know all the details at the moment, regarding the situation.
So, we are currently in contact with Jung Joon Young, who is currently overseas fulfilling his schedule, but we are also having difficulties understanding all of the facts. We are sorry.
However, Jung Joon Young has said that he will halt all of his schedules, and return to Korea immediately. He has also said he is willing to partake in the police investigation as soon as he returns back to Korea.
— MAKEUS Entertainment
Jung Joon Young was in San Francisco to film tvN‘s cooking variety show 4 Wheeled Restaurant Season 3. The production team of the show held an emergency meeting and decided that Jung Joon Young would not participate in the filming.
Dispatch Reveals Jung Joon Young’s Relationship With Seungri, New Chat Logs, and His Fake Apology To Korean Press
On March 11, Dispatch revealed the extent of Jung Joon Young and Seungri‘s friendship, and a new chat log, where Jung Joon Young and other members of the chat room would regularly rate other female celebrities on their sex.
In 2016, Zico revealed on Radio Star that Jung Joon Young had a “Golden Phone” that he would only use for KakaoTalk. Jung Joon Young was also involved in an incident where he was accused of filming his then-girlfriend illegally. He did not submit his phone as evidence, as he claimed that the phone was broken. The two parties ended up settling the matter, and no charges were filed.
Starting in March 2019, a new “Golden Phone” appeared. This chatroom contained the 8 members who were previously revealed, including: Seungri, Jung Joon Young, a 2nd male singer “C”, Mr. Kim, Mr. Yoo, and 2 other individuals, identified as “H” and “G”.
These 8 members would reportedly share everything with each other, from their personal lives to women. Dispatch reported that the chats where Seungri allegedly talks about soliciting prostitution were held in this same chatroom.
Jung Joon Young reportedly made dozens of his own chatrooms. In these chatrooms, hidden camera videos were filmed and shared. Some of the chatrooms only had one other participant, while others had multiple. Among the victims filmed illegally were some women who were aspiring to be celebrities.
Jung Joon Young’s chatrooms were reportedly split into two sectors: “Seungri-Fam” and “Joon Young-Fam”. “Seungri-Fam” chatrooms were for business related planning, and many of the people were Seungri’s acquaintances. “Joon Young-Fam” chatrooms were where Seungri and those he may not be close with would gather, and become close. Singer “L”, who has been mentioned often, was part of the “Joon Young-Fam” chatrooms, but singer “C” was only part of “Seungri-Fam” chatrooms.
Mr. Kim was Jung Joon Young’s biggest “hidden camera mate”. Over a span of 10 months, the two reportedly filmed a total of 10 hidden cameras (videos and pictures). There were also other attempted hidden camera videos that failed.
According to Dispatch, this was where Jung Joon Young’s private conversation with HIGHLIGHT’s Yong Junhyung comes in. Yong Junhyung was never a member of any of the chatrooms, but at the time this report was made it was suspected that he knew what Jung Joon Young was doing.
Jung Joon Young’s Chatroom Reportedly Discussed Rape, Pills, and Committing Criminal Acts
On March 12, SBS’s 8 O’Clock News reported that on April 17, 2016, Mr. Kim uploaded a video of himself engaging in sexual relations to the group chat. Singer Choi pointed out that the woman in the video had fainted, but Mr. Kim asked what was wrong with that.
When Singer Choi asked him for a video of a girl who’s “alive”, Mr. Kim said he only turned on the flash and filmed her because she had fainted. Jung Joon Young, who was in the group chat, laughed and said, “You raped her.”
On March 11 of the same year, Mr. Park shared details of how he drugged a woman with sleeping pills before having sexual relations with her. In response, Jung Joon Young made a comment that belittled the woman.
SBS also reportedly discovered a conversation that suggests that the members of the group chat knew that what they were doing was illegal. On January 1, 2016, Jung Joon Young suggested meeting in an online game, going to a strip bar, and raping a woman in a car, to which Mr. Park said, “We’re already doing that in real life.” He also added, “It’s like we’re living in a movie. Sure, we never killed anyone, but we did plenty of things that could land us in jail.”
FNC Responds To Rumors That Choi Jonghoon And Lee Jonghyun Took Part In Hidden Cam Chatroom
When news reports claimed that FTISLAND’s Choi Jonghoon and CNBLUE‘s Lee Jonghyun were involved in Jung Joon Young’s chatrooms, FNC Entertainment issued a statement to clarify the situation. They claimed that Lee Jonghyun is friends with Jung Joon Young but was not part of his chatroom.
We are making it clear that our celebrities, Lee Jonghyun and Choi Jonghoon, had only contacted the certain socially controversial celebrities as friends. They have nothing to do and no connection with the recent scandal.
— FNC Entertainment
They also stated that Choi Jonghoon was called to the police station for questioning as a witness, not a suspect.
Choi Jonghoon was only called to the police station to help their investigations as a witness. We’re emphasizing that he was neither a suspect or interrogated as one. Choi Jonghoon finished his questioning with the police and was declared to have no suspicious connection with the sexual entertainment case.
— FNC Entertainment
Jung Joon Young Admits To All Allegations of Taking Hidden Camera Videos and Sharing Them
On March 12, Jung Joon Young released an official apology letter through his agency, MAKEUS Entertainment. In it, he admitted to all that he had been accused of.
I acknowledge all my sins and actions in connection with what is being said about me about the allegations. I took videos of women without their consent, I spread it in the KakaoTalk chat room, and acted without guilt or remorse.
– Jung Joon Young
He apologized to his victims, and to everyone who had supported him and made him a public figure.
Most of all, I apologize to the women who appeared in the video, that had to face this horrible reality with this incident. I want to kneel and apologize to everyone who felt angry and disappointed.
– Jung Joon Young
He also agreed to participate willingly in investigations.
I will be faithful to the investigation by the authorities, which will start from the morning of the 14th, without any lies, and I will accept the punishment I receive, for the behavior I have committed.
– Jung Joon Young
Girls’ Generation Yuri’s Brother Accused Of Taking Part In Hidden Cam Chatroom
Rumors arose about Girls’ Generation Yuri‘s older brother, Kwon Hyuk Joon after news reports claimed one member of the chatroom was the older brother to a famous girl group member. Yuri was also known to be a friend of Jung Joon Young, and Kwon Hyuk Joon had been in business with Seungri in opening up a pub, called Mildang Pocha.
Kwon Hyuk Joon personally responded to a netizen, revealing that he’s been cooperating with the recent investigations.
Hello, you who is hiding in the shadows behind an anonymous name. I’m diligently cooperating with all of the investigations, and I don’t think you have any right to judge whether I deserve to hold my head up high or low with the crimes that I may have committed.
I was only involved in the chatrooms because of the business side to running Mildang Pocha. I had no knowledge of the sexual entertainment or the details released from the press.
Come back to me once you’ve found redemption for your sins and clearly unveiled your name.
— Kwon Hyuk Joon
Zico Addresses Rumors About His Involvement in Seungri and Jung Joon Young’s Chatroom
Footage from MBC’s Radio Star in 2016 featuring Zico talking about Jung Joon Young’s “golden phone” gave rise to suspicions that Zico had also been involved in the chatrooms.
In response to these rumors, Zico asserted that the “golden phone” he referred to had nothing to do with this case.
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
Jung Joon Young’s Contract And Seungri’s Contract Are Terminated
Following Jung Joon Young‘s admission to guilt, MAKEUS Entertainment, terminated his exclusive contract with them.
We have also decided that we are unable to maintain our contract with Jung Joon Young due to this scandal. Therefore, we have decided to terminate our contract with Jung Joon Young, who signed with our subsidiary ‘Label M’ back in January 2019.
– MAKEUS Entertainment
Soon after, news broke that Seungri’s contract with YG Entertainment had also been canceled.
After Seungri announced his retirement on March 12, YG Entertainment has honored Seungri’s request to terminate his exclusive contract.
As an artist management company, we admit that we have not managed our artists as thoroughly as we should, and we are deeply reflecting on that.
– YG Entertainment
Lawyer Reveals That High-Level Official Was Mentioned In Jung Joon Young’s Hidden Cam Chatroom
On March 13, Bang Jung Hyun, the lawyer who first reported Jung Joon Young‘s chatroom data to the Anti-Corruption & Civil Rights Commission, revealed that the chatroom contained content that gave rise to suspicions about close ties with the police.
[My source doesn’t] talk about any names (in the chatroom) directly but they mention a specific position. Simply put, one person said things like, “I saw the text with the person. I contacted him/her. It’s done.”
An unspeakable incident had occurred. In terms of the problems that arose, they said, “It’s done,” or “It’s covered up,” and one person even said, “I received a message from a police congratulating my birthday.” I cannot speak conclusively. It must be revealed through investigations.
– Bang Jung Hyun
Jung Joon Young’s Case Is Revealed To Have Been Sent To The Supreme Prosecutors’ Office Rather Than The Police
On March 13, it was revealed that March 11, the Anti-Corruption & Civil Rights Commission (ACRC) sent the chartroom case to the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office for further investigation. It was sent for further investigation 20 days after being inspected for data, as proof of illegal hidden cams and police corruption.
Although not explicitly stated, ACRC most likely requested an investigation by the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office rather than the police to more thoroughly investigate the relations between Burning Sun and the police.
At the time this report was made, Lawyer Bang Jung Hyun stated that the police are currently searching the private forensic company that was responsible for the restoration of Jung Joon Young’s phone in 2016.
After the data was referred to the Supreme Prosecutors’ office on the 12th and the police notified, the police have been searching the private forensic company that was responsible for the restoration of Jung Joon Young’s phone in 2016 from 11 am the 13th.
ㅡ Bang Jung Hyun
Reports Reveal That FTISLAND’s Choi Jonghoon Asked Police To Cover Up His Drunk Driving Incident, 3 Years Ago
During an urgent press conference held on March 13, it was revealed that FTISLAND‘s Choi Jonghoon, who was previously accused of being part of the chatroom with Seungri and Jung Joon Young, was caught drunk driving 3 years ago. Instead of being charged, he was secretly let off and the incident was never made public because of a message he sent to the police, someone that he knew from the chatroom.
Don’t let the public or press know about this.
— Choi Jonghoon
Police Reveal That A “Police Chief” Was Mentioned In The Chatroom, Chat Logs Reveal Seungri’s Direct Knowledge of Police Collusion
During the same press conference, police revealed that messages in Seungri‘s chatroom suggested support from a police chief. This confirmed Lawyer Bang Jung Hyun’s suspicions that a high-level officer was involved.
In the content of the group chatroom from October 2016, the term “police chief” was mentioned. There was a conversation that suggested not to worry about the civil complaint regarding the business since the police chief (would take care of it).
ㅡ Police
On the same day that the press conference took place, Reporter Kang Kyung Yoon revealed a new chat log that showcased Seungri’s direct knowledge of the police’s involvement in turning a blind eye to wrongdoings, such as the DUI.
Jung Joon Young Is Charged And His Prior Illegal Hidden Cameras Accusations Surface
On March 12, Jung Joon Young was charged for filming and circulating hidden sex cams of 10 women within the period of 10 months in 2015.
On March 13, SBS’s News Briefing reported that in addition to Jung Joon Young’s sex scandal in 2016 with his ex-girlfriend, he was accused of filming illegal cams in 2018. He was acquitted after the prosecution dismissed the search warrant claiming that there were “no circumstances of him trying to circulate it.”
SBS later reported that the police officer who was in charge of Jung Joon Young’s case in 2016 attempted to have the evidence destroyed. SBS discovered that the Sungdong police officer in charge requested that the digital forensics company to destroy Jung Joon Young’s phone and falsify their documents.
FTISLAND’s Choi Jonghoon Admits To Drunk Driving But Denies Police Collusion
On March 13, FNC Entertainment released an official statement on Choi Jonghoon’s behalf, regarding accusations. The agency, who previously claimed that he had no connection to the chatroom, stated that they had not been notified of his DUI. The agency also stated that although Choi Jonghoon was caught drunk driving, there was no collusion with the police.
We have confirmed through Choi Jonghoon that he was caught at a sobriety checkpoint in Itaewon, Seoul in February 2016 and received a penalty of 2,500,000 won as well as a suspension on his license, which he carried out. As a member who was not as well-known, he said he did not notify the agency out of fear and hoped for the incident to pass by quietly and is deeply regretting and reflecting upon his wrong judgement.
However, he has confirmed that there was no instance of request to the media or police as stated in reports released today.
– FNC Entertainment
FNC Entertainment stated that Choi Jonghoon would cooperate with police investigations, and would be halting his activities.
As a result, he will halt all individual activities as well as activities as a member of FTISLAND until all investigations are complete. ”
ㅡ FNC Entertainment
New Chats Show Seungri and Jung Joon Young’s Messages To Choi Jonghoon After His Drunk Driving Incident
On March 1, SBS FunE released new chat logs related to Choi Jonghoon’s DUI that reveal that the other chatroom members know about it. In the first part of the revealed chats, Choi Jonghoon sent a message expressing how he survived his drunk driving incident, thanks to “XX hyung”, reportedly referring to the police officer who let him off.
In the second set of chats, other members of the chat continued to talk about Choi Jonghoon’s incident, including Jung Joon Young saying how he could have ended up on the front of the newspaper. It was also revealed that the same police officer who booked Choi Jonghoon for drunk driving gave him a call later that night, congratulating him on his birthday.
Seungri Arrives At Police Station For Investigation Regarding Hidden Camera Chatroom and Prostitution
On March 13, arrived at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Station to be questioned and investigated for his role in the hidden camera chatroom and soliciting prostitution, among other accused crimes. Seungri made a short statement during his time with reporters before entering the police station.
I would like to apologize to the people of Korea, and to the people that have been hurt through this case. More than what I can say now, I will participate in the investigations truthfully.
— Seungri
HIGHLIGHT’s Yong Junhyung Announces He Will Leave HIGHLIGHT, FTISLAND’s Choi Jonghoon Announces His Retirement
On March 14, Yung Junhyung announced that he will be leaving HIGHLIGHT.
In his message, he apologized to his members and fans who have had difficulties because of his controversies. He also admitted to viewing a video that Jung Joon Young had illegally filmed.
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.
— Yong Junhyung
He also admitted to taking part in “inappropriate conversations” and said that it was his fault for not stopping Jung Joon Young.
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.
— Yong Junhyung
He stated, however, that he had never taken hidden camera videos himself or shared them. He called himself a “silent observer” whose actions led to more victims.
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.
— Yong Junhyung
On the same day, FNC Entertainment announced that Choi Jonghoon would be departing from FTISLAND and retiring from the K-Pop industry. He later made an apology to fans as well.
Choi Jonghoon, who has aroused criticism due to his involvement in recent scandals, has decided to depart from FTISLAND as of today. Choi Jonghoon will faithfully participate with police investigations within this week. He will permanently leave the team and retire from the entertainment industry.
ㅡ FNC Entertainment
Reporter Shares Story By Victim Of Jung Joon Young’s Hidden Cams, Jung Joon Young Reports To The Police Station
On March 13, SBS reporter Kang Chung Wan revealed that Jung Joon Young’s cell phone that had been delivered to the ACRC reportedly contained 200,000 KakaoTalk messages. The reporter stated that there was much content that was simply “unspeakable”, and he was shocked to find out that Jung Joon Young knew the some of his victims’ weaknesses would prevent them from reporting him to the police.
The latter claim Kang Chung Wan made was soon supported by a report that reporter Kang Kyung Yoon made on March 14. In it, she spoke about how she met 4-5 of Jung Joon Yung’s victims, who were all in their early 20s at the time of the incident. One of the victims explained how she found out about a video, but did not report it because she was afraid of how it could affect her reputation and out of fear that it might be circulated.
Even though she suffered damage, she would not file charges because she was afraid her personal details may be revealed. In fact, she pleaded (with him) not to maliciously circulate it. She said she asked (Jung Joon Young) to take it upon himself to erase it.
ㅡ Kang Kyung Yoon
On March 14, Jung Joon Young arrived at the police station as a suspect and made a short statement before entering, “I would like to apologize to the people of Korea. I will participate in the investigations faithfully.”
Lawyer Reveals There Are Others Who Filmed And Circulated Illegal Sex Cams
Lawyer Bang Jung Hyun, the lawyer who reported Seungri and Jung Joon Young’s chatroom data to the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, revealed there were others who filmed and circulated illegal sex videos other than Jung Joon Young.
Others did it too. I’m not sure if (the person who filmed and circulated the hidden cams) is a celebrity or not.
ㅡ Bang Jung Hyun
Bang revealed that the videos were “habitually” shared by these people, and emphasized that there were messages that hinted at rape attempts using drugs while filming the illegal sex videos.
New Chat Logs Reveal More Details About Seungri, Lee Jonghyun, and Jung Joon Young That Include Gambling, Sex, And Drugs
In exclusive chat logs obtained by Sisa Journal, it was discovered that Seungri was soliciting prostitution to his business partners starting in August 2014. Prior to this, the earliest incident was believed to have taken place in 2015. In the messages, Seungri can be seen telling an investor the prices of a girl, and even provided pictures of the girls upon request.
Seungri’s lawyer later stated that the messages Seungri sent at this time were a result of malicious questions asked by “CEO A”. According to the lawyer, “CEO A” had scammed Seungri out of 2 billion KRW ($1,756,319 USD) and Seungri’s messages were a result of his falling for CEO A’s malicious questions.
The chatlogs also revealed that Seungri took part in habitual gambling overseas. Due to Korea’s nationality principle, Koreans can still be punished for gambling in an overseas casino in spite of the fact that gambling may be legal in that country.
SBS News also revealed chat logs showing CNBLUE’s Lee Jonghyun and Jung Joon Young discussing their sex with different girls. They objectified the women using vulgar language.
Are there no young and pretty and nice bitches? Someone that would be fun to play with ㅋㅋㅋ
– Lee Jonghyun
Donga Ilbo also reported additional findings on one of Seungri‘s chatroom of 8 members. According to the report, the members kicked out Mr. A from their chatroom as soon as his incident involving marijuana was reported on the news. It is predicted that they didn’t want to be negatively affected by Mr. A’s scandal.
Jung Joon Young Submits “Golden Phone”, Seungri To Delay Military Enlistment
On March 15, Seungri and Jung Joon Young completed their respective 16-hour and 21-hour investigations and returned home. During investigations, Jung Joon Young handed in his “golden phone” to police. Some reports claim that Jung Joon Young had submitted a new phone that he recently purchased 2 weeks prior to the investigation.
I have faithfully and truthfully cooperated with the investigation and have submitted the “golden phone” as is. I apologize for causing a stir.
– Jung Joon Young
As Seungri exited the police station, he stated that he would be delaying his military enlistment. He also confirmed that he submitted his own cell phone.
I have faithfully completed my investigation. From today, I plan to officially make a request to the Military Manpower Administration for a delay to my military enlistment. If I receive permission, I will delay my enlistment date and faithfully participate in the investigations until the end.
ㅡ Seungri
CNBLUE Jonghyun Admits To Watching Jung Joon Young’s Illegally Filmed Videos
On March 15, FNC Entertainment released a statement regarding CNBLUE’s Jonghyun, who admitted to watching the illegally filmed videos by Jung Joon Young. In it,the company expressed an apology on Jonghyun’s behalf and on their own behalf for making prior statements without all of the facts.
After SBS’s report on the 14th, we got in contact with Jonghyun and confirmed the facts. He is deeply reflecting upon his watching the videos in the chatroom or inappropriate conversation related to belittlement of women or sex.
If he had proper sexual awareness, he would not have sat by and watched but he is regretful about the fact that he did. We apologize to those who have suffered due to the immoral and promiscuous conversations that took place without a sense of guilt and to everyone who was disappointed by this issue.
– FNC Entertainment
Choi Jonghoon Charged For Circulating Illegal Photos
On March 15, it was reported that Choi Jonghoon has reportedly been charged for circulating illegal photos and is expected to report to the police soon. Choi Jonghoo reportedly shared illegally-taken photos of a sleeping woman in April 2016 in Jung Joon Young’s chatroom:
Choi Jonghoon: (File attached)
Chatroom Member: “Who’s that chick with the hot body?”
Choi Jonghoon: “The one that was wearing a 000 yesterday.”
After revealing the identity of the woman, he is said to have made comments on the woman’s body along with other members of the group chat. The chat logs showed that Choi Jonghoon also asked for body shots of women and made comments that belittled the women. He is said to have also watched the illegally filmed videos that others shared in the chatroom.
MBN Reveals Identities of All 8 Hidden Camera Chatroom Members
On March 15, MBN revealed the identities of all 8 members of the original hidden camera chatroom. Based on MBN’s investigations and report, Yong Junhyung and Lee Jonghyun were not a part of the original chatroom, and instead part of a separate one with Jung Joon Young, and some of the members of the original chatroom.
- Seungri (formerly of BIGBANG)
- Jung Joon Young
- Choi Jonghoon (formerly of FTISLAND)
- Yoo In Suk, also known as Mr. Yoo, former CEO of Yuri Holdings
- Mr. Kim, former club MD
- A relative of a girl group member (referred to as Mr. A)
- An unnamed former employee at YG Entertainment (referred to as Mr. B)
- A friend of Jung Joon Young’s, who appeared with him on a travel program (referred to as Mr. C)
Jung Joon Young’s Home Searched, Additional Chat Logs Linking Jung Joon Young to the Sex Trade
Jung Joon Young submitted 3 phones to the police so far, but the police decided to search his home in case he was still hiding others. Three policemen were sent to search his house, and they reportedly searched for 3 hours.
He submitted his phones for investigation but we decided to take the precaution to make sure there weren’t any other phones involved.
— Police
At around the same time that his home was searched, KBS News revealed additional chat logs that link Jung Joon Young to the sex trade. The chat logs show an exchange between Jung Joon Young and CEO Yoo In Suk of Yuri Holdings, and the first log took place on December 25 of 2015.
The exchange suggests that Jung Joon Young was waiting for CEO Yoo to send prostitutes over to his place. In addition, the second chat log between Jung Joon Young and CNBLUE’s Lee Jonghyun show that Jung Joon Young engaged in sex tourism as well. Due to Korea’s nationality principle, a Korean person can be punished under Korean law once their involvement in sex tourism is confirmed.
Jung Joon Young Attends Court For Judgment Of Arrest Warrant
On March 21, Jung Joon Young reported to the Seoul Central District Court to be judged for an arrest warrant. He arrived at the District Court at 9:35 am (KST) for questioning, and before he entered the building he read a written statement in which he apologized for his “unforgivable crimes”.
I apologize. I’ve committed unforgivable crimes. I admit to all of the charges against me. I will not fight (against the charges) and will follow the verdict of the court.
ㅡ Jung Joon Young
He emerged from the District Court at 12:18 pm after approximately 1 hour and 48 minutes. Jung Joon Young was led by the police with his hands tied to the nearest police station to be taken into custody to await news of his arrest decision.
Jung Joon Young Is Arrested, Appoints Former High-Ranking Prosecutor as His Lawyer
Soon after Jung Joon Young was taken into custody, his arrest warrant was approved by Seoul Central District Court prosecutor Im Min Sung. On March 21, at 8:45 pm KST, Jung Joon Young was arrested on charges for filming illegal hidden cameras and distributing them.
On March 22, it was reported the Jung Joon Young selected a former high-ranking prosecutor as his lawyer following the resignation of his former lawyer, due to charges for destruction of evidence during Jung Joon Young’s investigation back in 2016.
In response to this report, a police informant stated, “The fact that he’s a former high-ranking prosecutor won’t affect the investigation.” However, there is concern that he could use his prior connections to his advantage if the case happened to be passed on to the prosecution.
New Details About Choi Jonghoon’s DUI Emerge
SBS released a chat log that showed Choi Jonghoon lying about his 2016 DUI arrest to the rest of the group chat’s members. In the released chat log, Choi Jonghoon messaged the group chat about his arrest, claiming he gave 10 million won to the police to get out of it.
Choi Jonghoon: The chrome hearts (handcuffs) really hurt. If you haven’t had them on, don’t say anything.
Choi Jonghoon: I told him (the police officer) I would give him 10 million won before I got handcuffed.
According to SBS’s report, the reality was much different. When Choi Jonghoon was caught drunk driving in February 2016, he offered the police officer who had caught him 5 million won (~$4,400 USD). The exact amount continues to be under investigation.
When Choi Jonghoon was asked about his identity, he lied about it and claimed to be unemployed. Police officers are supposed to report any cases of celebrities or public figures being cited for DUI to a higher-up, but because Choi Jonghoon stated he was unemployed, the DUI may not have been reported.
Choi Jonghoon was measured at a 0.097% BAC, almost twice the legal limit of 0.05%. He received a fine of 2.5 million won and a suspended license, but he was not charged with bribing a police officer at the time.
Seungri Admits To Illegally Misclassifying His Club Monkey Museum, But Continues To Deny Prostitution Allegations
In late March, Seungri confessed to reporting a club that he set up with Yuri Holdings’ CEO Yoo In Suk as a typical restaurant and that he knew that it was illegal when he committed the act. He claimed to have knowingly misclassified his club, but he stated that he rectified the situation after he saw other clubs getting in trouble for it.
The Monkey Museum’s illegal misclassification the first Burning Sun related accusation Seungri has admitted to. Around the same time that Seungri made this confession, he continued to deny claims that he had solicited prostitutes for investors.
Seungri and his lawyer said the chat logs had been misinterpretted. Seungri stressed that he simply wanted to find women to accompany the guests in question and says he was only treating them well to collect the 2 billion won (~$1.75 million USD) that he invested in them.
Seungri Holds Exclusive In-Depth Interview To Tell His Side Of The Story, Claims He Is A Victim
On March 22, Seungri had an exclusive in-depth interview with Joseon Ilbo, where he personally talked about the scandal surrounding him and Burning Sun. He first apologized for his actions, and once again stated how no one will believe him, even if he tells the truth. He discussed his former co-ownership of the Burning Sun with Lee Moon Ho and what that entailed, as well as how he got involved with Yoo In Suk.
Since he was not in charge on on-site operations at the Burning Sun, news of alleged illegal acts such as minors being allowed into the club, and Lee Moon Ho’s drug use, came to him secondhand. Seungri said that he did not know Lee Moon Ho has been taking drugs, and he was surprised when the test results came out positive.
Seungri explained that he quit his position as a director of Burning Sun before the assault cases, and claimed he was also a victim of Burning Sun’s misdeeds. He then talked about his lavish birthday party in the Philippines in December 2017, and how the accusations of having prostitutes and drugs there are false. Seungri again denied allegations about soliciting prostitutes in 2015, and claims that the women mentioned in those chat logs weren’t prostitutes.
When Seungri discussed the chat log “Police Chief”, Police Superintendent Yoon, he said, “I don’t know him well”. According to Seungri, Police Superintendent Yoon was Yoo In Suk’s friend, one who would point out Yoo In Suk’s business wrongdoings to correct the behavior, not aid it.
Superintendent Yoon poiinted out our wrongdoings by telling Yoo In Suk ‘Hey, you shouldn’t operate a business like that.’ We took what he said, corrected our mistakes, and we still got a punishment. We never asked for a lighter punishment. Now there is no one who believe that this is the truth.
— Seungri
The things in the Kakaotalk chat rooms, aren’t they about my life? Why didn’t I stop it? I told Jung Joon Young to stop doing things like [taking hidden camera videos], he could get in big trouble. I didn’t just say that to Jung Joon Young, I told everyone in the chatroom.
— Seungri
Seungri’s Ties To Wealthy Businessmen And His Paper Company “BC Holdings” Are Revealed
On March 23, new chat logs showed Seungri‘s connections to wealthy businessmen from all around Asia, and how he and some of these businessmen created a paper company called BC Holdings. BC Holdings was established by Seungri and Yoo In Suk as the investment company for Yuri Holdings.
In this picture, the daughter of Mr. A, who Seungri is suspected of arranging sexual favors for, is pictured. Seungri, Yoo In Suk, and the man suspected of being Mr. A are also pictured. It is suspected that Seungri was providing services to Mr. A in December 2015 in hopes of securing his investment in BC Holdings, which was established just 3 months later, in March 2016.
Ji Chang Wook Becomes Involved In Seungri’s Scandal Through “Madam Lin”
In late March, SBS revealed a photo that top actor Ji Chang Wook had allegedly taken with Madam Lin and DJ Raiden. Madam Lin is one of the investors in Burning Sun, owning a 10% stake in the club. She has been suspected of using Burning Sun as a location for money laundering as well.
Ji Chang Wook soon denied having any connections with Madam Lin. His agency, Glorious Entertainment, released a statement, saying that he only took a picture with her because she was his fan.
Seungri Is Additionally Charged With Illegal Photo Distribution And Is Accused Of Destroying Evidence, Police Find More Of Jung Joon Young’s Illegal Videos
On the morning of March 28, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency held a briefing and stated that Seungri‘s solicitation charges are in progress with an additional charge on illegal photo distribution. According to police, Seungri distributed photos that were taken without the consent in numerous group chatrooms.
According to MBC, Seungri also reportedly tried to destroy evidence of the group chat’s illegal video/photo sharing. He reportedly told the members of the chatroom to change their phones shortly after it was revealed on March 11 that the members of the chatroom shared illegally filmed videos with each other.
As a result, new phones were allegedly submitted by Choi Jonghoon, Seungri, and Jung Joon Young for police investigations. MBC alleged that only videos from 2015 and 2016 have been discovered on Jung Joon Young’s phone(s) because he abandoned his most recent phone in Los Angeles.
In addition to this, a suspicious flow of funds was discovered at Club Burning Sun. The Investigation Team sent the data over to the Intellectual Crime Team for analyzation regarding this, and the police stated that they would conduct a thorough investigation so that no suspicions would remain.
On the same morning that Seungri was booked for his additional video distribution charge, police revealed that they had discovered more illegal videos taken by Jung Joon Young. The videos were later revealed to have been taken at multiple places, both day and night.
After Jung Joon Young’s arrest, an additional 3 cases of illegal video filming has been discovered. The original 8 cases has increased to 11 cases.
ㅡ Police
More Celebrities Are Revealed To Have Been Involved In Jung Joon Young’s Illegal Hidden Camera Sharing
Around the same time that news broke about Jung Joon Young’s additional videos, MBC reported that a total of 14 people were involved in chatrooms where his illegal videos were shared. Among the 14 people are several celebrities, including singers “K” and “J“, as well as model “L”.
Singer “K” stated admitted to being in a chatroom, but denied any knowledge of illegal videos.
I do remember being in a chatroom with Jung Joon Young, but there were no illegal photos.
— Singer “K”
Jung Joon Young’s Case Is Forwarded To Prosecution
Jung Joon Young was taken from the holding cell he was staying at in Jongro to the Seoul Prosecutor’s Office at 7:48 am on March 29 to officially begin the process of receiving his punishment for illegally filming and distributing videos of women. His case has been forwarded to the prosecution, meaning that the prosecutors will review the details of his arrest, and determine the charges that will be filed against him.
Seungri Is Booked For Embezzlement, Revealed To Have Solicited Prostitution, And Admits To Bribing Police Yoon
In a press conference on April 1, the commissioner of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, Won Kyung Hwan, announced that Seungri and Yoo In Suk had both been booked for embezzlement. the fund were embezzled from Monkey Museum. Seungri has also been suspected of embezzling funds from Burning Sun.
The police also announced that Seungri violated the Anti-Bribery Act, and determined that Seungri did indeed solicit prostitution, which he previously denied many times. The police stated that they received testimonies from 4-5 concerning this.
We have been investigating for the past two weeks and have received testimonies from 4-5 women. We also received testimonies that such prostitution did happen.
— Police
The police also revealed that Seungri had admitted to giving Senior Superintendent Yoon and his wife 3 tickets to BIGBANG concerts. This violates the Anti Bribery and Graft Act (Also known as the Kim Young Ran Act), where public officials and their spouses are not allowed to accept gifts worth more than 50,000 won (increased to 100,000 won at weddings or funerals). Senior Superintendent Yoon has also been charged with leaking official secrets.
Choi Jonghoon Is Additionally Booked For Filming Hidden Camera Videos
On April 1, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Investigation Team revealed that Choi Jonghoon was additionally booked for violating the Act on the Punishment of Sexual Violence (illegal filming using cameras). Choi Jonghoon distributed 6 videos in total (1 video, which he filmed without consent, and 5 other illegally-filmed videos he received from other people) through group chatrooms. Since he had directly filmed one of the videos and he has additionally been charged with violation of the Act on the Punishment of Sexual Violence.
Singers Roy Kim And Eddy Kim Revealed To Be Part Of Jung Joon Young’s Chatrooms
On April 2, singer Roy Kim was revealed to be a part of Jung Joon Young’s illegal chatrooms. It was reported that the police would investigate Roy Kim’s connection to determine whether Roy Kim simply saw the videos, or if he also participated in distributing them.
Two days later, another singer, Eddy Kim, was added to the growing list of chatroom participants. MBC reported that he was one of 10 celebrities involved with Jung Joon Young’s chatrooms. As of April 4, he has admitted to posting one photo to the chatroom that would be considered sexual or lewd, and his agency said that he is deeply reflecting on the incident, and has participated in investigations.
Police Officers Booked For Collusion With Club Burning Sun
On April 3 it was reported that, at the National Assembly Information Committee general meeting, Superintendent Min Gap Ryong stated that 5 out of 6 police officers were booked for collusion with Burning Sun. It was also announced that Superintendent Yoon submitted a business and personal cell phone to the police as part of their investigations.
2AM’s Jung Jinwoon, Model Lee Chul Woo, And Super Junior’s Kangin Accused Of Being Involved In Jung Joon Young’s Chatrooms
When reports claimed the three new celebrities (Singer K, Singer J, and Model L) were involved in the illegal video chatrooms, netizens accused Kangin, Jung Jinwoon, and Lee Chul Woo as the perpetrators.
Label SJ has released their official statement about Kangin, stating that he was temporarily in one of Jung Joon Young’s chatrooms, but he did not film or distribute illegal videos. He also did not recall what conversations had taken place there. Lee Chul Woo’s agency stated he was not a member of the chatroom and had not filmed or distributed illegal videos. Jung Jinwoon’s agency explained that it’s difficult to get in touch with him because he is currently still in the military’s training program.
So far, police have no plans to investigate Kangin, Jung Jinwoon, or Lee Chul Woo.
Police Book Roy Kim On Suspicions Of Distributing Hidden Camera Videos
On April 3, police confirmed that Roy Kim will be summoned for investigation as he is now considered a suspect in distributing illegally filmed hidden camera videos. He was previously only considered a witness, however his status has now changed to a suspect. Roy Kim’s father has already apologized for his son’s actions, claiming responsibility for himself.
Burning Sun Scandal
Actress And Wife To “Burning Sun” Criminal Shares Unexpected Update On Her Marriage
“Burning Sun” Convicted Rapist Jung Joon Young Allegedly Reveals Future Career Plans
HyunA, Yong Jun Hyung, And Burning Sun — The Real Facts About The Controversial Relationship
“Burning Sun” Convicted Rapist Jung Joon Young Caught Flirting With, Kissing Women In France
