Channel A Newsrevealed silhouettes of the alleged celebrities around the same time thatSBS News released their report on Jung Joon Youngs involvement in the chatroom. If Seungris KakaoTalk messages from three years ago are a crime, arent all Korean men criminals? he said, according to Soompis translation. A press conference held by the Commissioner General of the Korean National Police Agency confirmed that a chatroom member referenced a police connection. I filmed women without their consent and shared it in a social media chatroom.. If you wanted the club to stay open an extra hour. Its ridiculous to say drugs were used inside the club. A woman came forward with allegations that Choi drugged and raped her while in the U.S. in March 2012. 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. 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. Likewise, you need to understand the triangular mafia in Korea of celebrities, businessmen and public authorities to fully understand Korea. The South Korean governments Ministry of Culture, Sport and Tourism supports K-pop and other industries such as its lucrative K-dramas, which are exported as far as Cuba. It must be revealed through investigations. The story is still developing, but Billboard pieced together all of the major developments related to Burning Sun. Additionally, Seungri was accused of knowing about the incident. 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. 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. They would get it. The Burning Sun scandal, named for the club in Gangnam associated with Seungri, of boy group Big Bang, comes a year after women began rallying in the streets in a wave of protests against systemic sexual abuse and the pervasive use of spycams(The women taking on spycams in South Korea). April 3: The agencies of Lee Chulwooand Kanginissued statements clarifying that the men had only participated in a different, temporary chatroom with Jung related to a television show, 2016s Hitmaker, that they had all appeared on in the past but has since been deleted. 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. Choi reportedlybanned from leaving South Korea due to multiple allegations against him. In it, she spoke about how she met 4-5 of Jung Joon Yungs victims, who were all in their early 20s at the time of the incident. South Korea 's President, Moon Jae-in weighed in last week. 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. 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 two parties ended up settling the matter, and no charges were filed. 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). Los Angeles, Review: A reimagined Secret Garden fails to flower anew at the Ahmanson Theatre, High school basketball: Southern California and Northern California Regional results and updated pairings, Justin Biebers Justice world tour canceled after several postponements, Blake Shelton embarks on last season of The Voice before doing a little bit of nothing, Madonna salutes late brother Anthony Ciccone for blowing my mind as a young girl, L.A. Phils 2023-24 season lineup celebrates the 20th anniversary of Walt Disney Concert Hall, Cardi B changes tune on community service, calls it best thing, spiritual journey. This confirmed Lawyer Bang Jung Hyuns suspicions that a high-level officer was involved. They also denied that Seungri had been at the club at the time of the incident. March 13: Jung Joon-young penned a letter of apology where he confessed his crimes and announced his retirement from the entertainment industry. A technician reportedly discovered multiple chats on Jung Joon-youngs phone after the singer sent it in for repairs. Kim Sang Kyos mother witnessed this beating and tried to stop it by filming the police brutality. The roiling scandal has been driven by social media, which helps expose wrongdoing but also provides K-pop fans with new distractions. In the publics collective consciousness, the people whose supposed mission is to protect and serve are tainted beyond being salvaged. 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 whos helping me with the interior design of my advertisement-project. 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. South Korean women are well aware of this disparity and increasingly disinclined to accept the status quo. On the same day that the press conference took place, Reporter Kang Kyung Yoon revealed a new chat log that showcased Seungris direct knowledge of the polices involvement in turning a blind eye to wrongdoings, such as the DUI. Having said that, theres of course a wide variety of responses, but Id say that theres still a tendency to downplay the seriousness and the significance of the transgressions, said John Lie, a professor of sociology at UC Berkeley and author of K-pop: Popular Music, Cultural Amnesia, and Economic Innovation in South Korea., K-pop stars are believed by many of their fans to be kind and gentle, unlike non-K-pop stars, and K-pop managers seek to maintain the myth. On November 24, 2018, a man named Kim Sang Kyowas reportedlyassaulted at the Burning Sun, a Gangnam club owned by BIGBANGs Seungri, after he stepped in to help a woman who was being sexually harassed. Two days later, another singer,Eddy Kim, was added to the growing list of chatroom participants. The 14 individuals being reinvestigated reportedly include actors and a promoter of Arena. In addition to this, a suspicious flow of funds was discovered at ClubBurning Sun. March 18:The Burning Sun case reached a new level of national urgency when South Korean President Moon Jae-in ordered a thorough probe of three cases focused on Burning Sun, late actress Jang Jayeon and former Vice Minister of Ministry of Justice Kim Hak Eui. A Blue House petition seeking to extend the investigation reached 687,767 signatures. On February 25, YG Entertainment released anofficial statement claiming that the text messages in the reports were fabricated and untrue. Choi Jonghoon, who has aroused criticism due to his involvement in recent scandals, has decided to depart from FTISLAND as of today. Its done.. Netizens matched up photos of Celebrity A toJung Joong Young and Celebrity B toFTISLANDs Choi Jonghoon. Now there is no one who believe that this is the truth. 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. I became tied to wrongful businesses., He insisted that he was merely the face of Burning Sun without any further involvement in the management. 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. But accusations of police bribery, obstruction of justice or cases being completely dismissed highlight corruption at the highest levels in South Korea go back to the Park Geun-hye administration, and had been the spark for the massive candlelight protests that drew millions to the streets in 201617. Donga Ilbo also reported additional findings on one of Seungris chatroom of 8 members. Junwon released a statement denying embezzlement charges. 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. I took videos of women without their consent, I spread it in the KakaoTalk chat room, and acted without guilt or remorse. April 18: SBS funEreported that a woman accused Jung and Choi of being two of five men that raped her in 2016 in a hotel room. They objectified the women using vulgar language. 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. MAKEUS Entertainment terminated Jung Joon-youngs contract, while YG Entertainment terminated Seungris contract. Additionally, she denied the involvement of FTISLANDs Lee Hongki as well as rumors that female celebrities were victims. MBCs Newsdesk reported there were 14 people involved in the chatroom, and suggested other celebrities were involved who had appeared with Jung on a television show. Few members of the public have a memory span or patience enough to watch days of police corruption [reporting], wrote Oh Young-jin in the Korea Times. Some messages allegedly discussed raping women at the club. 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. 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. #kpop #kpopidol #idol #seungri #contro. 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. Seungris camp saidthat women who received money for the trip to The Philippines did so to cover their travel expenses, not in exchange of sexual services. A YG employee claimed that the shredding process was merely a quarterly routine, and YG founder Yang Hyun Suk later refuted Chosun.coms report on Instagram. The Crimes, aka The Burning Sun Scandal. Feb. 4: Burning Sun CEO Lee Moon Ho officially apologized to Seungri and revealed that he fired the clubs director, Jang, who assaulted Mr. Kim. He was not part of the main chatroom, but he had knowledge of Jungs illegal camera footage. Feb. 26: Korean outlet SBS funE reported on a KakaoTalk group chat from December 2015 where Seungri allegedly planned to bribe investors with prostitutes. March 26: Arenas owner, known by his surname Kang, was arrested on charges of tax evasion. The latter claim Kang Chung Wan made was soon supported by a report that reporter Kang Kyung Yoon made on March 14. Someone that would be fun to play with . Police are reportedlyalso investigating a comment made by Seungri, also in December 2015, about procuring escorts for Taiwanese customers at a Gangnam club. After Jung Joon Youngs arrest, an additional 3 cases of illegal video filming has been discovered. The police stated that they received testimonies from 4-5 concerning this. Hitting a home run, for example, appeared to refer to the successful drugging and raping of a victim. Even though she suffered damage, she would not file charges because she was afraid her personal details may be revealed. 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. In the statement, MAKEUS Entertainment revealed how even they did not know all the details at the moment, regarding the situation. Lee Seung-hyun, known widely as Seungri, was the youngest member of one of K-pop's most influential boy bands, BIGBANG. As soon as I asked, What trouble could I cause in this state?, they said, I told you to shut the f*ck up. On March 21, at 8:45 pm KST, Jung Joon Young was arrested on charges for filming illegal hidden cameras and distributing them. She later fell over while foaming at the mouth. In these chatrooms, hidden camera videos were filmed and shared. His decision to retire stemmed from the scandals that have surrounded him since the Burning Sun Assault case began. The Burning Sun incident, while involving drug dealing, prostitution, violence, tax evasion and collusion with police, overlaps with mafia activities, he wrote for Korea JoongAng Daily. After the scandal broke, hundreds of Big Bang fans gathered at a rally in Indonesia to support Seungri in spite of the allegations. An independent panel under the Ministry of Justice has concluded the original investigations were flawed and Kim has now been indicted on charges of receiving 170 million won ($143,700) and sexual favors in bribes from a construction contractor. Moreover, club employees who were aware of what was happening likely stayed silent to protect their jobs. The video shows guards dragging Kim Sang Kyo out of the club and bringing him to the ground. The things in the Kakaotalk chat rooms, arent they about my life? The chatlogs also revealed that Seungri took part in habitual gambling overseas. Several editors of top K-pop fan and news sites declined to comment for this story, and while the fan culture is eager to know the truth, much work is yet to be done. 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. I retreated backwards and was able to briefly call the police through my cellphone at 7:02AM. Jung Joon-young completed a second round of questioning. The women, alleged prostitutes, were to be acquired for Seungris foreigner Investor B. The Burning Sun scandal exposed some of the most beloved K-pop idols to be depraved predators. Three policemen were sent to search his house, and they reportedly searched for 3 hours. In one conversation, the employees used code words to evaluate potential victims before drugging them. SBS released a chat log that showedChoi Jonghoonlying about his 2016 DUI arrest to the rest of the group chats members. It is also my fault for not stopping Jung Joon Young. Japanese CEO associated with alleged 2015 hotel prostitution denied that he ever received sexual services coordinated by Seungri. Feb. 16: Seungri spoke about the Burning Sun controversy at his concert in Seoul, promising to act more carefully.. The message seems to be that women are valued for being sexualized props. But beyond the cavalier and criminal ways that some of them . Get weekly rundowns straight to your inbox, A daily briefing on what matters in the music industry. Following an additional complaint filed by the woman earlier this month, the SMPA opted to reinvestigate. Even though I knew of what was happening at that time, I thought was not a big deal and was too relaxed. On the same day, FNC Entertainment announced that Choi Jonghoon would be departing from FTISLAND and retiring from the K-Pop industry. Seungri, center, a member of the popular K-pop boy band Big Bang, speaks on his arrival at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency in Seoul on March 14. It was reported that the police would investigate Roy Kims connection to determine whether Roy Kim simply saw the videos, or if he also participated in distributing them. For this reason, VIPs were supplied with date rape drugs to assist them in hitting their home runs. I told Jung Joon Young to stop doing things like [taking hidden camera videos], he could get in big trouble. I asked him how he was doing the next day. Want to know what everyone in the music business is talking about. Chois legal representative said that Choi believes the womans allegations are a form of blackmail. News outlet Chosun.com reported that trucks from a document-shredding service arrived at YG Entertainment. To a lesser degree, CNBLUEs Lee Jong Hyun and Highlights Yong Junhyung have also been tied to the controversy. The police claimed that Kim Sang Kyo was arrested for obstruction of business, while the club itself claimed it was for sexual harassment. The club was reportedly under suspicion of tax evasion. Former officer Kang was forwarded to prosecution on charges of accepting bribes in relation to Burning Sun. Some wielded signs saying Rape cartel. Jung Joon Youngs chatrooms were reportedly split into two sectors: Seungri-Fam and Joon Young-Fam. An unspeakable incident had occurred. Another employee witnesseda man feeding a woman a spiked drink. We are making it clear that our celebrities, Lee Jonghyun and Choi Jonghoon, had only contacted the certain socially controversial celebrities as friends. Park denied Hwangs claims he was the celebrity who coaxed her into using illegal drugs. Jung Joon Youngwas taken from the holding cell he was staying at in Jongro to the Seoul Prosecutors 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. Among the 14 people are several celebrities, including singers K and J, as well as model L. The police soon arrived, but instead of arresting the assaulters, they arrested Kim Sang Kyo. 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. The scandal that began with allegations of drugs and violence at Seoul's Burning Sun nightclub, has since implicated several k-pop celebrities, and is now having an impact on the TV drama world . During investigations, Jung Joon Young handed in his golden phone to police. Former FTISLAND member Choi Jonghoon was booked on charges of sharing illegal photos. It was sent for further investigation 20 days after being inspected for data, as proof of illegal hidden cams and police corruption. Leaked Kakaotalk messages pointed to this club as being the meeting point for rich investors to meet potential working girls. The acquaintance was reportedly in charge of coordinating and managing the women suspected of prostitution at Seungris birthday in the Philippines. Seungri ended his statement by talking about how he will use this incident to learn and grow as a person. They claimed that Kim Sang Kyo was sexually harassing a woman and began causing a scene when the bodyguards tried to stop him. While Investor B was a woman, her acquaintances were apparently men. It was also announced that Superintendent Yoon submitted a business and personal cell phone to the police as part of their investigations. She wasnt drunk but her eyes were completely out of focus. Affiliates also revealed, however, that Seungri participated in the management of the club even though he was not the actual owner of the business. The actress died by suicide in 2009, leaving behind a note condemning at least 30 figures tied to the entertainment industry. In fact, she pleaded (with him) not to maliciously circulate it. The truth behind the Burning Sun Assault has finally been revealed through CCTV footage as well as information about the female accusers. 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. She held onto me as she tried to resist. The chat reportedly suggested the members had strong ties to the police force, which then brought police corruption into the multi-pronged scandal. Incident to learn and grow as a person # x27 ; s President, Moon Jae-in weighed in week. Actors and a promoter of Arena the bodyguards tried to resist a big deal and too! 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