Comeback With 4-Member Formation, Here are 5 Facts About Seungri's Scandal That Became the Reason for His Departure from BIGBANG

Kapanlagi.com - Today on April 5, 2022, Bigbang released their latest song titled Still Life after a 4-year hiatus from the South Korean entertainment world. The boy group, which debuted on August 19, 2006, last released a song in March 2018 titled Flower Road.

However, their comeback this time is very different because they only have 4 members, namely G-Dragon, T.O.P, Taeyang, and Daesung. Bigbang made a comeback without Seungri, after he decided to resign from the group and retire from the entertainment world.

This was due to the scandal that ensnared Seungri, namely the prostitution, drug, and human trafficking crimes known as the Burning Sun scandal. Curious about other facts about the former Bigbang member's scandal? Let's check it out below.

1. The Beginning of the Burning Sun Scandal

credit: instagram.com/seungriseyo

The controversial case involving Seungri began with the confession of a man on a Korean community forum in January 2018. The man claimed to be a victim of assault at a nightclub called Burning Sun, which was founded in 2018 and managed by Lee Moon Ho and Seungri.

On the forum, he said that a woman had been sexually harassed and asked for his help. He asked for security assistance, but was instead dragged out of Burning Sun and beaten by the police.

2. Several Names Involved

credit: instagram.com/seungriseyo

After the case gained attention, Seungri announced his retirement from the group that had made him famous and from the entertainment industry. The Burning Sun case continued to expand, involving several celebrity names such as Jung Joon Young, who was found to have illegally recorded and spread his sex videos.

Then there was Choi Jong Hoon, a former member of the group FT Island, who was found to be involved in the Burning Sun case and bribed to cover up a drunk driving incident in 2016. Yoon Junhyung, a former member of HIGHLIGHT, and Lee Jong Hyun, a former member of CN Blue, were also involved in sexual content conversations.

3. Seungri Denies All Accusations

Seungri previously denied all accusations against him, including those related to prostitution and gambling. His lawyer, Son Byung Ho, revealed that Seungri only introduced the women without any invitation for prostitution.

However, on March 20, 2019, South Korean TV station MBC revealed that the former Bigbang member instructed everyone to join a group chat, including Jung Joon Young and Lee Jong Hyun from CN Blue. Seungri also asked them to change their phones to remove any evidence of illegally taken indecent videos.

4. Seungri on Trial

Seungri finally began his mandatory military service in March 2020 and the case was transferred to a military court. In his first trial, Seungri denied all allegations of embezzlement, prostitution, and illegal recording.

In the following trial, Seungri still denied that he knew about the prostitution activities conducted by former CEO of Yuri Holdings, Yoo In Seok. However, in the end, the court sentenced him to five years in prison and a fine of 20 million won in the trial held on July 1, 2021.

5. End of Seungri's Scandalous Series

On August 12, 2021, Seungri was charged with various arrest warrants including procurement and mediation of prostitution. The charges also included embezzlement of business funds and income, attempted destruction of evidence, distribution of illegal film content, illegal gambling, and violation of food sanitation laws.

On the court's charges, SBS News reported that Seungri was sentenced to three years in prison and fined 1.1 billion won. That is the end of the controversial Burning Sun case involving Seungri and several other Korean celebrities.

(kpl/mag)