A prostitution scandal that is currently enveloping the K-pop industry involves Big Bang member, Seungri, as well as other notable names in Korea’s entertainment industry such as Choi Jong-hoon of F.T. Island and Jung Joon-young, a TV personality and member of Korean rock band, Drug Restaurant.
Seungri was forced to step down from the Korean entertainment scene after it was revealed that he had deep connections to Burning Sun, a nightclub that has its hands in illegal ventures pertaining to sex work and drug distribution. Now, others like Choi and Jung have also quit the industry after confessing to secretly filming women in sexual acts without their consent. The videos were allegedly circulated through a mobile group chat that includes approximately 10 individuals.
According to Consequence of Sound, the controversy surrounding Jung is more than just a sex scandal, as it allegedly hints at police collusion and how the Seoul police force had covered up Jung’s past recordings, which date back to 2016. This has sparked a large internal investigation within the Seoul police force.
For now, Seungri, Jung, and Choi have issued public apologies to fans and victims involved in the scandal, on top of stepping down from the industry and having their contracts terminated by YG Entertainment, MakeUS Entertainment, and FNC Entertainment. A fourth artist, Yong Jun-Hyung from Highlight, has also retired from the industry despite not being involved in the crimes. Yong was dropped by US Entertainment for allegedly having knowledge of and being a witness to the crimes through the group chat.
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