Some of these videos and pictures were sent in the chatroom with Seungri and other celebrities. April 11: Roy Kim, Eddy Kim, and Choi admitted to spreading illegally taken photos, and Choi also admitted to illegally filming footage. According to the lawyer, CEO A had scammed Seungri out of 2 billion KRW ($1,756,319 USD) and Seungris messages were a result of his falling for CEO As malicious questions. 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. 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. But the scandal revolves around a core chat that involved eight members: Seungri, Jung, Choi Jonghoon, Yoo In Suk, Burning Sun employee named Mr. Kim, a relative of a girl group member, a former YG Entertainment employee and a friend of Jung. 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. The Burning Sun scandal, also known as Burning Sun gate, [1] [2] was a 2019 entertainment and sex scandal in Seoul, South Korea, which involved several celebrities, including Korean idols of popular K-pop groups, and police officials. 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. The behavior standards for conduct are higher in K-pop, but the ferocity of some fanbases lead some to stick by their idols regardless of their transgressions. Stocks for major South Korean entertainment firms plummeted as fans who often invest in favorite labels sold off their stakes in disgust. They were each allegedly paid 4 million won (around $3,400 USD) for overseas trips and an additional 2 million won (around $1,700 USD) for work performed at Korean clubs. South Korean women are well aware of this disparity and increasingly disinclined to accept the status quo. When Seungri discussedthe chat log Police Chief, Police Superintendent Yoon, he said,I dont know him well. I retreated backwards and was able to briefly call the police through my cellphone at 7:02AM. April 1: Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency (SMPA) reportedlyconfirmed some allegations that Seungri arranged prostitution services to men. TV Chosun reported that Seungri is suspected of deleting evidence of police ties on Instagram. March 26: Arenas owner, known by his surname Kang, was arrested on charges of tax evasion. 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. On March 15, FNC Entertainment released a statement regarding CNBLUEs Jonghyun, who admitted to watching the illegally filmed videos by Jung Joon Young. A promotional poster showed that Hyoyeon performed at the club right as Friday (23rd) turned to Saturday (24th). In response, Jung Joon Young made a comment that belittled the woman. But I truly dont think this is an industry problem as much as it is a societal problem.. At the Gangnam Police Station,Kim Sang Kyo claims that police officers accused him of causing a scene because he was drunk. The roiling scandal has been driven by social media, which helps expose wrongdoing but also provides K-pop fans with new distractions. April 17: Jung was indicted on charges of violating the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment etc. The video showed a woman, who couldnt keep herself steady, sitting on the toilet while a man sexually assaulted her. Additional allegations swirled around the BIGBANG singer: Channel As News A reported on a tip received by police that Seungri allegedly sent Korean women to Japan for escort services, an accusation his camp reportedly denied. 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. The club sets the scene for one of the most complex scandals to hit Korea, one that goes beyond the K-pop world. Jung Joon Young was also involved in an incident where he was accused of filming his then-girlfriend illegally. When reports claimed the three new celebrities (Singer K, Singer J, and Model L) were involved in the illegal video chatrooms, netizens accusedKangin,Jung Jinwoon, andLee Chul Wooas the perpetrators. The YG business credit card that Seungri used in 2015 is a card for Seungri to pay for all of his personal expenses that incurred unrelated to work, said YG, according to a report by XPORTSNEWS. 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 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. FNC Entertainment denied the claims against Lee. Jan. 29: Burning Sun released a statement following the news of the assault. Feb. 26: Korean outlet SBS funE reported on a KakaoTalk group chat from December 2015 where Seungri allegedly planned to bribe investors with prostitutes. YG Entertainment the Big 3 K-pop company where Seungri was signed released a statement claiming the chatroom messages were fabricated. SBS funEs Kang Kyung-yoon, who reported the story, responded that there would be no reason for her to fabricate the texts. There is no official translation of the show at this time, but commentator and journalist Ask A Korean summarized some of the shows findings on Twitter. If you wanted the club to stay open an extra hour. 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. SMPA announced its cybercrime unit had begun investigating about 200 media industry insiders, including reporters and producers, who had participated in a chat that shared sexual footage shot illegally allegedly at Burning Sun. 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. I filmed women without their consent and shared it in a social media chatroom.. SBSs 8 OClock News reported that singer Jung Joon-young shared hidden camera footage in chatrooms with celebrities, with his conversations reportedly dating back to 2015. But in recent months a scandal dogging the Burning Sun nightclub in Seoul, which Seungri sat on the . For breaking music news, follow @augustbrown on Twitter. Between April 9 and April 12, South Koreas three main broadcast channels revealed they had issued guidelines regarding appearances of Seungri, Jung, and Choi: MBCissued a ban of Jung following his arrest while temporarily restricting appearances by the others as their cases develop, while KBSissued restrictions on appearances by Jung, Seungri, and Choi. The exact amount continues to be under investigation. The phone that I mentioned on the show had nothing to do with this unfortunate case. 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 must be revealed through investigations. I became tied to wrongful businesses., He insisted that he was merely the face of Burning Sun without any further involvement in the management. It was revealed that he stands accused of destruction of evidence for resetting one of his three phones, among other charges. Seungri announced his retirement from the entertainment industry on Instagram. In it,the company expressed an apology on Jonghyuns behalf and on their own behalf for making prior statements without all of the facts. Besides toning down some of the extreme expressions, we didnt edit it at all. In the messages, Seungri can be seen telling an investor the prices of a girl, and even provided pictures of the girls upon request. 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. Simply put, one person said things like, I saw the text with the person. Numerous sides to Kim Sang Kyos Burning Sun assault story put everyone in a state of confusion, but the truth was finally made publicduring the first week of March. 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. SMPA also confirmed that prostitution took place in 2015 revolving around the time a YG credit card was used to book hotel rooms for Japanese business associates, with suspicion of Seungri coordinating the services. On March 21, Jung Joon Young reported to the Seoul Central District Court to be judged for an arrest warrant. Based on MBNs 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. On March 11, Seungri announced his retirement on Instagram. Yuri Holdings, which was established by Seungri and Yoo, reportedly owned 40% of the total Burning Sun shares of acquisition stock after the club was capitalized previously at 50 million won (around $44,000). While the full scope is still emerging, Burning Sun already appears to be K-pops Altamont: the moment when a subcultures aura of innocence was shattered. Although FTISLANDs Choi Jonghoon admitted to drunk driving in 2016, 8 OClock News revealed the chats discussions about the guitarist paying for a cover-up of the incident. Inlate March,Seungriconfessed to reporting a club that he set up withYuri HoldingsCEO Yoo In Sukas a typical restaurant and that he knew that it was illegal when he committed the act. 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. 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. In late March,SBSrevealed a photo that top actorJi Chang Wookhad allegedly taken withMadam Lin andDJ Raiden. These developments have become national news on such a large scale that even South Korean President Moon Jae-in commented on them, stating that If the truth is not revealed, we cannot say its a just society., The crimes echo larger issues facing Korea, such as the countrys ongoing spy cam epidemic. An affiliate of the club stated that the business was not under Seungris name, and Seungris name was not listed in the official statement released by Burning Sun. The agency, who previously claimed that he had no connection to the chatroom, stated that they had not been notified of his DUI. MAKEUS Entertainment terminated Jung Joon-youngs contract, while YG Entertainment terminated Seungris contract. Following Kim Sang Kyos assaults, a special task force was assembled to uncover the truth behind the incident, as well as other scandals surrounding the Burning Sun. The scandal is known as Burning Sun, after the ritzy Gangnam-district nightclub where many of the alleged crimes took place. On the morning of March 28, theSeoul Metropolitan Police Agencyheld a briefing and stated thatSeungris solicitation charges are in progress with an additional charge on illegal photo distribution. The scandal has revealed a sordid underbelly in the strictly mediated industry, where K-pop stars personal lives are rigorously controlled by their record labels, with no room for dissent or screw-ups. The women, alleged prostitutes, were to be acquired for Seungris foreigner Investor B. At that moment, Ha Jin Woong couldnt hold in his rage as his body shook. The police obtained statements from people involved in the allegations, including several women allegedly hired to perform sexual acts. Yong Junhyung has no connection to the filming or sharing of illegal videos and has never been in a chatroom where Jung Joon Youngs illegal camera videos were shared.. We also received testimonies that such prostitution did happen. They announced they were investigating whether Yoos payments exceeded those of Yoons to determine whether the expenditures are violations of the countrys graft laws. On March 9, it was reported thatSeungri has officially been considered a suspect in the Burning Sun scandal. According to a source at YG Entertainment, Seungris decision to announce his retirement was made entirely on his own. I do remember being in a chatroom with Jung Joon Young, but there were no illegal photos. Meanwhile, Yuri Holdings where the singer was co-CEO owned 20 percent of Burning Suns shares. That same day, MBCs Newsdesk reportedthat singer Eddy Kim was one of the previously unidentified participants in the chatroom. C9 . The review found that the police and prosecution failed to properly investigate her death, but as the list could not be found, there was not enough evidence to re-open the case. In response to these rumors, Zico asserted that the golden phone he referred to had nothing to do with this case. I took videos of women without their consent, I spread it in the KakaoTalk chat room, and acted without guilt or remorse. As a businessman, he took on leadership roles in various enterprises ranging. The ambulance arrived around 8:35AM, and the rescue team confirmed, This patient needs to go to the emergency room. I was a silent observer to this serious problem, where my actions could have led to even more victims. 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. Kim Hak-eui resigned from his role of vice justice minister in 2013 after video emerged of him allegedly raping a woman at a sex party at the home of businessman Yoon Jung-cheon five years earlier. Seungri and Yoo are suspected of having embezzled around 2 billion won in total through their business partnership (around $1.71 million USD). SBSs 8 OClock News reported on suspicions of business violations at Seungris other club, Monkey Museum. Kim Sang Kyos assault took place approximately 6 hours after Hyoyeons performance. The modern K-pop idol management system first arose after the major label SM Entertainment ran damage control after a breakout star was caught with marijuana. On March 13, SBSsNews Briefing reported that in addition toJung Joon Youngs sex scandal in 2016 with his ex-girlfriend, he was accused of filming illegal cams in 2018. 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 officials duties.. Koreas National Tax Service launched a special investigation into YG Entertainment over suspicions of tax evasion. Joon Young-Fam chatrooms were where Seungri and those he may not be close with would gather, and become close. I apologize. When it arrived, the police station refused to let Kim Sang Kyo go. On the same morning that Seungri was booked for his additional video distribution charge, police revealed that they had discovered more illegal videos taken byJung Joon Young. As a result of the ongoing controversial news surrounding Seungri's club, 'Burning Sun' has allegedly revealed a CCTV video. He also revealed that he cant stop digging farther into the scandal because its more f*cked up and dirtier than [he] had imagined., A post shared by +I (@arkham_er) on Mar 3, 2019 at 8:03am PST. The case was investigated twice in 2013 and 2014 but was thrown out despite the video, with prosecutors arguing that Kim could not be identified. 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