Though this incident took place on November 24, 2018, it wasn’t until January 28, 2019 that it was brought into the public eye.
It was on this day that MBC Newsdesk ( the main nightly newscast of the Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation) reported on an alleged assault on a clubgoer, 29 year old Kim Sang-kyo, at the Burning Sun nightclub.
At the time of the incident, Kim claims to have been helping a woman who he says seemed to have been sexually harassed, as well as drugged, within the space of the Burning Sun club. “The woman hid behind me. She seemed to have been sexually harassed. She held my shoulders…”
Like any concerned citizen, Kim flagged down some of the club’s staff to try and get help for the woman. However, instead of assistance, Kim instead says “…and when I tried to ask for help from the club’s bodyguards, the club executive and guards started beating me up.” Kim says that the assault by the club staff was so severe that it left him with broken ribs and heavy bleeding. When the police finally arrived, all Kim felt was relief and rushed out to meet them and direct the officers to the club staff who was assaulting him.
However, it did not go as Kim expected.
Kim Sang-kyo`s Instagram @saint.kyo
It was to his horror that instead of assisting him, Kim was instead getting beaten by the officers on the scene, adding onto the already horrible injuries he had accumulated from the club staff. Kim was confused and tried to tell the officers that he was the one who called the police and tried to bring attention to the club’s staff and the woman who he said was drugged.
It was to no avail however. After the police were done with Kim, it was then that the officers on scene handcuffed him and booked him with several charges after taking the injured man to the police station. Kim Sang-kyo on seven charges in total, including criminal battery, indecency, obstruction of police duties and defamation against the Burning Sun club.
In released surveillance footage from a patrol car and the police station, Kim is depicted as being beaten by police officers and bleeding quite badly. However, the police have denied any claims of assault and claim that Kim’s bleeding nose was instead the result of a fall.
Kim Sang-kyo (left) shown bleeding in the Police Station
Angered by the injustice of this incident, and wanting to bring light of this corruption, Kim Sang-kyo went on the Cheong Wa Dae (“The Blue House”) official website (the Cheong Wa Dae being the South Korean equivalent to the White House) and posted a petition regarding Club Burning Sun and included details of his assault. The petition by Kim Sang-kyo also leveled allegations against Club Burning Sun regarding the drugging of women by club staffers and a corrupt relationship between the police and the club.
This issue was further compounded by a CCTV video uploaded by Mr. Kim from the club, which has sparked even more controversy and turned a public spotlight onto Burning Sun. It includes a woman stumbling as she’s dragged through a club hallway, and there’s been a lot of speculation about what’s going on in the video. It was uploaded on YouTube on December 27 of last year.
Copy of the video posted by Mr. Kim
Mr. Kim described, “Less than 10 days after my incident occurred on November 24, a woman who was intoxicated by something was dragged by her hair by a Burning Sun guard down a VIP hall. The woman grabbed on to the computer and desk and seemed to be in need of help, but the staff ignored that. I received information that the woman reported this to the police, but the police let it pass and Burning Sun deleted the CCTV [footage].”
He went on to say that he heard similar incidents happen twice a day, and that the police receive a large amount of money from Burning Sun, with the police and Burning Sun having an agreement where they do not enter the club on the pretext that they are a business disturbance.
With the inclusion of the video, and the fact that the petition posted by Kim has since gained over 200,000 signatures, an official investigation into the affairs of Club Burning Sun has been sanctioned and will be conducted to get to the bottom of this incident. Since then, even more petitions have arisen for an expansion of investigation into other nightclubs in the Gangnam area.
Now, if that were the end of it, then the ethical issue would be, while horrific and a terrible sight to behold, quite straightforward and easy for Club Burning Sun and the people in charge to deal with. However, as like most cases, this is not the end. And as the investigation into these allegations of drugs, rape, and misconduct continue, horrifying twists and turns would be revealed.
Twists and turns that would have farther reacher consequences for all those involved, and for the entertainment industry of South Korea as a whole.
Now, it can be argued, from a teleological framework of thinking by way of egoism (which involves thinking of self-interest as ethical if it has benefits to other), that this does not have to be the end of the club. The management of the club and all those involved in the upper management could take this as an opportunity to rebrand their establishment. They can rebrand, and change up the overall feeling of their new club to better reflect the reflection they’ve taken upon themselves to do and become a club known for its strict policies in regards to the treatment of others within their establishment. The self-interest in not seeing their club die out from the face of the earth could be regarded as ethical if they help set new standards for the nightclubs of Gangnam in terms of safety and decency.
But I honestly don’t see it happening. The only reason why this was such a big deal in the first place was because they had such lax regulations in place. And if they were to add any new “implementations” of similar policies, it will be seen as nothing more than a way to try and save face.
A virtue ethics way of thinking would bring about similar issues, with the phrase of “too little too late” being a highlight of what I think would be the general reaction. There is simply no way for Club Burning Sun to bounce back from this.
However, I see little reason to argue against the choice of action already taken with the club’s management, which I believe also brings us to the third possible action and way of thinking, the Deontological framework. I say this because, on February 17, 2019, Club Burning Sun closed its doors pending further investigation, and with how things have spiralled out of control with more and more insidious dealings coming to light, it may very well stay that way permanently.
I am in complete agreement with this decision. The club was going to go no matter what. There are no ifs, ands, or buts about this decision. With such hot media coverage over the shady dealings happening in the club, it would have seen, at the very least, a complete death in terms of profits and revenue as no one would be willing to go to the club in fear of the stigma now surrounding it. And with Deontological thinking focused on duty and obligations, this seems to be the only course of action Burning Sun could take. After all, they failed to fulfill their duty to their women customers in the first place by ensuring that the actions taken within the club didn’t happen in the first place. They failed the public by making this club a den of disgraceful action. So, it was the only thing left to do to get rid of this blight at the source, and that is Club Burning Sun.
But just because Burning Sun has closed down does not mean that this is the end of this case’s ethical reach. This situation and ethical issue has long since outgrown the boundaries of just a single nightclub and company.
Now, it has expanded into far reaching territories such as an entire industry, with implications of a deeper societal problem. With such involvement being implicated by the sheer number of celebrities involved, and the fact that this controversy has sparked a rising movement of feminism in South Korea, this may very well be an issue for the nation to deal with as a whole. There is no easy way to comment on this, because we are talking about an entire industry, an entire nation, that has to change how it behaves in regards to the ethical issues present in this case.
However, in my opinion, the best way to start dealing with the undercurrent issues is also through the Deontological framework of thinking by way of contractarianism. In terms of contractarianism, the way of thinking is one that is simple in theory: we agree to a social contract that entails equality of treatment and equality of opportunity. This way of thinking would help cut the underlying issues involved in this case, which when broken down can lead to two issues: celebrities thinking they are above common decency, and men treating women as mere…I can’t finish the thought.
It can be argued that the Virtue Ethics framework could help get the same result, by emulating a set of virtues, character gets built. However, I argue that with Korea having long since been a nation of scandals of such degree popping up every few years (whether it be gambling, drunk driving, or other acts contrary to common decency) there are no true ethics and values to follow. Or at the very least, not enough people in high visibility positions (such as politicians and celebrities) are making an effort to emulate the ethics and morals that are sorely needed at this time and age.
And as for the Teleological framework…just no. In this instance, the end results will not justify the means if the means involve processes and actions that can lead to even more ethical issues.
That is why I argue that to truly fix the problem that is emerging in South Korea as a whole, the Deontological way of thinking should be implemented. By adopting this way of thinking in terms of moral values and ethics, there is a real chance for change in both the Korean entertainment industry (with how idols and celebrities are treated and regarded) and the way society objectifies women.
Like all scandals, there have been countless opinions made about the issue at hand, whether they be from fellow celebrities or just the public in general. But one thing is certainly clear: people are NOT happy with the recent activities of Burning Sun, Seungri, Jung Joon-young, Roy Kim, and the other celebrities who have been involved with media firestorm that is Burning Sun Gate.
The YouTube channel, KOREA NOW, took to the streets of South Korea in order to try and get some interviews from the public about what they thought of the issue with Burning Sun and the celebrities involved with the chatroom scandal. It is immediately clear that a lot of people on the streets at least have some rudimentary knowledge on the issue since everyone is immediately able to tell what scandal they are talking about, which should be a given with how big the scandal is compared to others in recent years.
There are certainly many differing opinions on the fact about whether or not people sort of expected such a thing to arise. It was certainly disheartening to hear that people weren’t truly shocked about a scandal occuring. But that much is obvious. Celebrities are people in the public eye, so anything that happens to them is amplified by their status. People in the video and in the public are, by now, desensitized to seeing their favorite singers and actors in the spotlight over something they did, whether it be an affair or a case of drunk driving.
Choi Jong-hoon was even specifically mentioned for such a case years back about drinking and driving. And not just him. Another celebrity who has been involved with an issue of drunk driving was another member of Big Bang, the one known as Daesung. With such incidents occurring fairly frequently, it is no wonder that the Korean public is used to hearing the words “celebrities” and “scandals” put together so often. In most cases, people ignore such things.
However, where it really starts to fly off the handles is when the subject matter of illegal prostitution, rape, and drug usage comes into the picture. South Korea as a society abhor the subjects mentioned. They have outlawed prostitution, and have heavy laws regarding drugs. Thus, when this aspect of the case come to light, it soon became apparent that many of the public found this to be “too much” even in regards to the celebrities they know live lives apart from the average person.
Another common aspect that seems to be shared amongst the people interviewed in this particular instance is that they believe the highly public nature of this scandal is a cover-up to something much larger and much more serious than what is being reported. I cannot say for certain what would lead people to believe that other than the fact of just how forthcoming the people involved seem to be compared to other scandals.
Video by Asian Boss
Just like in the video done by KOREA NOW, the people interviewed in the video done by Asian Boss appear to be equally as informed about the situation at hand than just mere rudimentary knowledge of the fact. They know about who Seungri is: “The Korean Gatsby.” They know about the details of the scandal. And they know about who else was involved and the various developments of the case such as Seungri’s retirement.
And to me, it seems like their feelings on the subject matter are very much in line with others. They are of the opinion that there was no other course of action for Seungri other than retirement from the entertainment industry. He was a member of one of the most influential and popular boy bands in Korea and internationally, even after 13 years since their debut, and he was someone the younger generations looked up to. To be such a public figure and to be a part of something so heinous really was a let down and disappointment to many.
And it should also be of note that common concepts are shown through here as was in the previous video. There are mentions of something bigger being covered up by this scandal, but the public don’t know what. Again, I personally cannot comment on such an idea, but for something as obscure as the idea of a bigger cover-up being mentioned in two different videos about public opinion, there is surely some reason as to why people would think such a thing.
Taeyeon’s speculated video
Even other celebrities are taking a stand in their own positions about the scandal. One notable example to this is Taeyeon, the leader of the female equivalent to Big Bang, SNSD (also known as Girls’ Generation).
SNSD and Big Bang have shared a space in South Korea’s culture for a long time now. Both bands debuted some 10 years ago and both have been considered to be the top bands of their respective genres: i.e. girl band and boy band. So it should come as no surprise that one close to Seungri, at least in terms of profession and regard in the public eye, should come forth about the recent scandal.
Now, I confess that while there is nothing explicitly said in this video to suggest Taeyeon is commenting on the recent news about Seungri and the others involved with Burning Sun, it has been noted by many Korean citizens that her mention of “I’m just going to do all that I want to do. …within legal boundaries.” and the little caption of “unintentional reflection period,” could be nothing but an allusion to the recent scandal involving her fellow K-Pop star.
Many have taken to praising Taeyeon for her decision to be a more wholesome celebrity than others, but beyond the comments of the public and other celebrities, the recent scandal has given rise to something unintentional. And that something unintentional is the rising wave of a feminism movement in South Korea, in light of this scandal.
This scandal, involving rich and influential men abusing their power, harming women, and almost getting away with it, brings together an array of divisive social issues in South Korea right now. Over the past year, South Korean women have picked up the torch of the #MeToo movement, starting a sustained protest movement to spark conversations about sexual abuse and the fight for women’s rights.
The campaign began on January 2018, when prosecutor Seo Ji-hyun appeared on a JTBC news show to talk about her experiences with harassment and assault by a superior. Since then, many women have come forward with accusations against high-profile men, including film directors, actors, and politicians. South Korean students have taken up the cause as well, exposing incidents they experience at school and making #SchoolMeToo the social issue most talked about in South Korea in 2018. The second-most discussed was feminism, and the third was molka, an abbreviated word both for spy cameras that are hidden in places such as public bathrooms and for the explicit videos later posted on porn sites. And unfortunately, this is not an uncommon trend in South Korea.
South Korea has long since had a struggle with how women are treated, not just in the K-Pop industry, but as a nation. In fact, it is so prevalent of an issue that when the Institute for the Future of State hired Tapacross, a professional research company, to use big data to analyze the main social issues in Korea, conflicts between men and women came out on top.
Tapacross analyzed big data consisting of 120 million references on online platforms from mass media and social network platforms for a period of 18 months from July 2017 to December 2018, after President Moon Jae-in entered office. In the top 10 issues identified by Tapacross, six were related to relations between the sexes or gender equality. The Me Too movement came second on the list followed by singer Koo Ha-ra’s problems with a boyfriend at No. 4 and a bar fight between women and men near Isu Station at No. 5.
With such a large scandal taking place in the spotlight regarding these positions, involving men of such high-profile, I can honestly expect that this time, the fight for women’s rights in South Korea will take a much deeper hold than in past years, both due to how serious allegations seem when faced with, ironically enough, “star power,” but also because the public is now more aware than ever about the issues that are underlying their society today.
To recap, on January 28, MBC’s “News Desk” reported about an assault at Club Burning Sun, which had been managed by BIGBANG’s youngest member, Lee Seung-hyun, better known as Seungri. The victim, a Kim Sang-kyo, stated that when he attempted to help a woman who was showing signs of being drugged and sexually harassed at the club, he was beaten by security staff. He also alleged that when police arrived, he was arrested as an assailant and also assaulted by the police.
On January 29, Club Burning Sun issued a statement regarding the assault at the club. The letter was signed by CEOs Lee Sung-hyun (not to be confused for Seungri’s real name) and Lee Moon Ho, who apologized and stated that the staff member responsible for the assault had been dismissed over the events.
Their statement is as follows:
We understand that much doubt and controversy has arisen in relation to the Gangnam assault incident reported on MBC News at 8 p.m. on January 28, 2019.
The incident occurred in the process of a staff member responding to a civil complaint from a female guest who said that she had been the victim of sexual harassment. We express our sincere apology and remorse as the representatives of the club’s management team for arousing criticism over assault by a club staff member.
We will fully cooperate in the investigation process as necessary to allow for the thorough investigation of the truth related to the various doubts brought up in that report, including submitting all of the CCTV footage that recorded the details related to that incident to the investigative agency.
Also, regarding the person from the club connected to that assault incident, we are holding him responsible and have taken disciplinary action and dismissal measures. We will do our best to prevent this from happening again in the future through actions such as education for our club staff and the creation of manuals on safety and security.
…to begin with, I’d like to make a reminder that the incident actually took place on November 24, 2018. It was only first reported on January 28 o this year. Thus leads to my first criticism: how long it took for Club Burning Sun and Seungri to address the issue of the assault.
While it can be said that the incident was something that every nightclub experiences when people get intoxicated and could have simply been thought of to be commonplace, to have an incident of such a degree happen in as high-brow a place as Club Burning Sun (through claims and efforts of theirs) leaves much to be desired. It is of my opinion that had Club Burning Sun truly been aware of this incident and as on top of this as they should have been, there should have been an immediate show of action to mitigate the damage done.
Yes, it is possible that Club Burning Sun reached out to Kim Sang-kyo earlier in the year and tried to get this settled privately. And yes, it is entirely possible that the staff member responsible was dismissed immediately upon the realization of the severity of their actions. However, seeing as how Kim Sang-kyo has made no indication that Burning Sun had or had not reached out to him to apologize, and the fact that they issued a response so quickly in the face of the news report, I can only assume they did not think much of the incident and went about their operations, heedless of the concern the incident would draw from the public.
And in response to the video uploaded by Kim Sang-kyo on December 27, which depicted a young woman stumbling across a hall in Burning Sun, the club issued a statement on Instagram about the video and also uploaded two clips allegedly from the same night (though the clips have since been taken down).
The video in question, posted by Kim Sang-kyo, depicting the young woman
They wrote the following:
This is our explanation statement regarding the video in question. There are additional videos from the same day as when she was dragged out.
On December 1, 2018 around 1:35 a.m., An intoxicated woman (Thai) at a VIP table was causing a disturbance through actions such as unsealing alcohol at the table and secretly drinking it, and so actions were taken for her to leave.
In the process of her leaving, she committed the first act of assault on the guard’s head. After our Burning Sun guard team called the police, they were waiting and a female Burning Sun guard was in charge.
A staff member who was able to communicate with the foreigner (the male wearing a denim jacket) explained the situation in English but she became angry instead and she assaulted the female guard and sales team member.
After the police arrived, we submitted the video in question to the police, the foreign guest was arrested, we received assault settlement money afterwards for the repair cost of the laptop, and the case was closed.
Burning Sun also shared a post made on Facebook by the female security guard, including her explanation of the events corroborating the official statement released by the club. She denied the idea that the woman was being taken away for the purpose of being sexually assaulted, as was speculated, and included a letter of apology written in English, described as the woman depicted in the video (though this too has been removed and the letter cannot be verified).
But it was not only an explanation that the management offered in light of this issue. Burning Sun also made a point of turning the incident around on Mr. Kim. Director Jang of Burning Sun released even more supposed footage of CCTV cameras on the night of the assault, saying that “No matter what the reason, I apologize that violence was committed. As is seen in the CCTV footage, I witnessed Mr. Kim approaching female guests numerous times, and as civil complaints from guests increased I couldn’t let it pass. It’s true that there is ambiguity about ‘harassment’ due to the particular nature of it being a ‘club.'”
Director Jang continued with “Currently there are many articles with related search terms that say ‘Seungri club.’ However, not only was Seungri not at the club on the day of the incident, he’s also someone we do not see often. I want to say clearly that the assault was my mistake. I will submit the related materials such as CCTV footage to the police and sincerely undergo the investigation.”
I cannot challenge the claims set by Director Jang about what really took place. However, I am able to speculate on the issue. And to me it seems as though all of this is meant to be a way to mitigate the damage to both Seungri, whose star-power is a key marketing strategy for several of his business ventures (not that it matter much since he has since resigned all positions associated with business and entertainment), including Burning Sun, and a way to shift blame onto Kim Sang-kyo, the victim in the club assault. This is a standard method of moral disengagement, both a displacement of responsibility away from Seungri and Burning Sun, and also an attribution of blame on Kim.
And when it comes to the more serious allegations levelled against Seungri alone, apart from Burning Sun, there have been several actions the youngest member of Big Bang has taken.
The first of which was to simply deny the allegations levelled at him regarding the drug and sex bribery charges. Another action of his was to resign from nearly all held positions he held in businesses he helped make. Additionally, his resignation as Director of the Club was claimed to be not due to any of the crimes and accusations directed at either entity (himself and Burning Sun), but as preparation for his inevitable mandatory military service, which is a requirement of all males between the ages of 18-28 for a duration of around 2 years.
President Yang Hyun-suk (left) and Seungri (right)
It has even gone so far that the president of YG Entertainment, Seungri’s agency for both Big Bang and himself as a solo artist, to release a statement of his own, distancing YG apart from Seungri and the scandal now synonymous with the superstar’s name. On January 31, he released the following statement via YG Entertainment’s official blog:
Hello, this is Yang Hyun Suk.
My New Year’s greetings are very belated. Everyone, I sincerely hope you will receive a lot of luck in the new year, always be healthy, and have a happy year ahead.
Whenever there are unexpected negative rumors contrasting with my personal wish from my last post to only share good news, I feel most apologetic first of all to the fans who must have worried.
I think that sudden negative rumors are like an unexpected rain shower falling from clear skies.
YG manages control of all aspects regarding our artists’ activities through our exclusive contracts with them, and we have continuously revised our contracts and management systems in order to prevent recurrences of accidents and mistakes.
In addition, we always check by emphasizing, advising, and educating what our artists have to be careful about through lots of conversations with them, and we are putting in our full effort to prevent potential disgraceful incidents beforehand.
However, like the old saying “bad news travels fast,” I think it is very difficult to tell them to be careful in preparation for groundless negative rumors that spread through word of mouth.
Also regarding the negative rumors on Seungri’s club, I wanted to find out the truth and give a quick response since the beginning. However, our artists’ operations of their personal businesses are completely unrelated to YG, so it was an awkward situation for YG to speak out and give an official statement, and there was also a lot of difficulty in finding out the truth.
The difficulty was that I have never gone to this club and do not know any of the people related to the club, so I did not have a way to ask someone about the details of this incident.
The only person I could ask was Seungri, and I found out that on the day of the incident, Seungri was at the scene until 3 a.m. on November 24, and the incident occurred past 6 a.m.
The reason why Seungri recently resigned as an executive director of the club was in order to comply with laws regarding military service as his military enlistment is approaching in March or April.
According to Article 30 of the Framework Act on Military Status and Service, “A soldier shall not engage in any for-profit activity, other than military service, and shall not concurrently engage in other activity without permission from the Minister of National Defense.” It is specifically written, “A soldier is prohibited from becoming a director, financial manager, general partner that takes part in the business, manager, promoter, or any other executive of a business.”
I confirmed that due to this reason, Seungri is in the process of resigning from not only the club but all of the CEO and executive director positions for which his name is recorded.
Seungri himself is also feeling very apologetic to fans who must have worried due to this incident, and although he was going to share his position through a post of apology, I told him to hold off for the moment.
This is because I decided that it would be better for him to share his position after the whole story of the incident is revealed more clearly through the investigation.
Currently, the focus seems to be turning away from the assault incident towards a drug investigation. To share with fans in case they are worrying even a bit, Seungri recently received a strong investigation by the prosecution with a search and seizure warrant due to groundless reports, and it was revealed clearly that there were no issues with all his examinations including urine and hair testing.
I feel apologetic that I am not able to give positive New Year’s greetings, and I will soon greet you again with an announcement on BLACKPINK’s new music, the criteria for “YG Treasure Box” selection and debut plans, and happy news of new music from many YG artists including WINNER and iKON.
Thank you always.
2019.01.31
FROM YG
Despite my personal feelings on the matter of the crimes, if true, I can understand the need for Seungri and YG to distance themselves. Seungri, who might very well be innocent of all of the crimes directed at him, may very well be just another celebrity who finds himself entangled in a situation that was out of his control. The same goes for YG.
This extraordinary issue would also explain why Seungri also announced that he would be retiring from the entertainment industry, on top of all the business positions he once held. His name was getting dragged through the mud and he did not want to cause anymore problems for people simply associated with him, such as the other member of Big Bang.
On March 11, he shared the following statement on Instagram:
This is Seungri.
At this point, I think it would be best if I retire from the entertainment industry. I decided on retiring from the entertainment industry as the issues that I caused a societal disturbance with are too major. Regarding the issues that are being investigated, I will be investigated diligently and reveal all the suspicions.
Receiving criticism and hate from the public for the past month and a half and with the situation of all the investigative agencies in the country currently investigating me, I am even being cornered as a traitor of the nation. I personally cannot tolerate causing harm to everyone around me in order to save myself.
I sincerely thank all of the fans in and outside of Korea who have given me lots of love for the past 10 years, and I think this is where I stop even if it’s at least [to protect] the honor of YG and BIGBANG.
It is understandable why Seungri would retire from the entertainment industry at this stage. Given all the accusations that have been placed on him, anything associated with him after a scandal as widespread as this, whether it be a new album, a tour, or a film, would be bound to have this stigma around it. The stigma born from the rumors of a “golden phone” and a KakaoTalk chatroom that was shared between him and fellow Korean celebrities.
However…despite all this, despite all of the steps taken to ensure that Seungri does not damage others with this scandal and the fact that he seems genuinely determined to follow through and cooperate with police, I cannot in good conscience absolve him of his crimes nor think of him as anything but guilty, and that is because of one simple fact:
Jung Joon-young admits to “all his crimes”
Jung Joon-young, another big name celebrity whose name came up in association with the illegal distribution of sexual photos and videos through the use of KakaoTalk, admitted his guilt in the crimes allegated on him. On March 13, Jung Joon-young released and shared a statement that admitted his guilt.
I write to you in shame and guilt.
I, Jung Joon Young, once again realized the seriousness of this situation after returning to Korea on March 12. Although it’s already late, I apologize through this letter to all the people who showed an interest in me and gave me a second chance.
In regards to what is being said in relation to me, I admit to all my crimes. I filmed women without their consent and shared it in a social media chatroom, and while I did so I didn’t feel a great sense of guilt.
As a public figure, it was an unethical act worthy of criticism, and such a thoughtless action.
More than anything, I kneel and apologize to the women who appear in the videos who have learned of this hideous truth as the incident has come to light, and to the many people who must be angry at the situation over which they cannot contain their disappointment and astonishment.
I am withdrawing from all the programs that I was appearing on, and I will suspend all activities in the entertainment industry. I will now set down all my activities as a public figure that are not self-reflection, and I will reflect for the rest of my life on my immoral and illegal actions related to the crimes.
More than anyone else, I apologize to the women who have experienced great suffering due to my actions, to the many people who must feel anger even more so than disappointment, and to the many people who made me into a public figure and cherished me.
I will sincerely take part without any falsehoods in the investigations that will begin on the morning of March 14, and I will accept punishment for my actions.
I once again deeply apologize. I am sorry.
Tuesday, March 12, 2019
Jung Joon Young
And that was only the start of the admissions of guilt in this scandal.
Roy Kim, Eddy Kim, Choi Jong-hoon (left to right)
Roy Kim, Eddie Kim, and former FTISLAND member, Choi Jong-hoon, all admitted their guilt in various crimes. Whether it be the unlawful and illegal distribution of illegally taken photos (and film in the case of Choi), or even the bribing of a police officer for a case of drunk driving (to which Choi admitted to doing in 2016) all high-profile and known celebrities associated with this disgraceful crime, all but Seungri that is, have come forth and admitted their guilt in some part of the accusations directed at them.
With such confessions being made enmass, it is hard to see how Seungri could possibly try and defend himself for having no part in the crimes directed at him. His name is always brought up in association with the crimes of these other men, especially in regards to the heinous chatroom that is commonplace between the celebrities involved in this scandal.
But still, Seungri continues to deny the crimes of all but one of the charges levelled at him, with Seungri reportedly having confessed only to crimes of gambling in the past. It is in my personal opinion that with his compatriots making such confessions, it is hard to try and distance himself from the crimes he claims he had no part in, and that doing so is only prolonging investigations.
On 23 February 2018, Club Burning Sun opened its doors for the first time. Club Burning Sun is located at Le Meridien Hotel in South Seoul’s Gangnam neighborhood (Gangnam, from the famous Gangnam Style song, is considered to be the equivalent of Beverly Hills in America). Since then, the club has been attracting the biggest crowds and hosting the best DJs on the peninsula.
Le Meridien Hotel, Gangnam (Location of Club Burning Sun)
Being a nightclub, Club Burning Sun does not have an official website of their own, so a mission statement or a vision statement cannot be said about this club. However, in their own words, they aspire to be “South Korea’s most elegant and finest club.” And to accomplish this vision from its conception, Club Burning Sun spared no expense.
It occupies the hotel’s first and second floors (EDM and Hip-hop themed respectively) with expansive dance floors and top-notch VIP and VVIP accommodation. To prove just how upscale they are, the club purportedly offers a set menu valued at around 100,000,000 won (or around $93,000), complete with 12 liters of premium champagne and Armand de Brignac, along with 10 bottles of its regular sized bottles.
They even go so far as to have a dress code, so that no one looking like they just got out of bed may enter such a luxurious and elegant establishment. All this is to add to the luxury feel of the club and to set them apart from other establishments in Gangnam.
Outside of this, Club Burning Sun does not have an official corporate history due to just how short of a time they’ve been in business.
Now, despite the grandeur of this nightclub and the clear atmosphere of the establishment being one for celebrity VIPs, there is still no reason for the allegations leveled against this club and the staff to have gotten such widespread attention. And in most cases, people would be right. As unfortunate as it is, clubs with conduct such as Club Burning Sun are a dime-a-dozen and anywhere at anytime, a similar incident could pop up without anyone being the wiser. It is a sad fact, but we as people have become desensitized to such things like sex scandals of organizations or establishments.
However, it is not the club itself that draws in the attention of the world, but those involved with Club Burning Sun and their position in both the club hierarchy and the Korean Entertainment world as a whole.
What I mean by this is that a celebrity who is well-known is both a co-owner of Burning Sun, as well as the Director of Public Relations for the nightclub. He has long since been considered the face of the club since its inception, and it is a face that people internationally know all too well.
Lee Seung-hyun (known by the name Seungri)
Seungri, in the Korean Alphabet, is spelled out in a way that means “Victory.” A powerful word for a powerful concept. However, most people do not associate the word with the literal meaning in the Korean language. Instead, the word has become synonymous with the chosen stage name of the youngest member of the internationally known K-Pop boy band, Big Bang.
Born on December 12th, 1990, Lee Seung-hyun has been at the forefront of the Korean entertainment industry ever since his official debut with Big Bang on August 19, 2006, with Big Bang having gone on to become dubbed the “Kings of K-Pop” as well as one of the most influential boy bands for the Korean entertainment industry. As the youngest member of the band, Seungri has had to differentiate himself from his older band members due to the fact that Korea is still largely a society that places high respect and regard for people of a more advanced age. Seungri soon garnered the reputation as the “bad boy” of the group and has since gone on to carve out a unique position in Korea. He has become known as the “Great Seungri,” both to reflect the title of his newest Solo Tour and as a nod to the titular character of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, “The Great Gatsby.”
Such a grandiose nickname is not unfounded, as Club Burning Sun was not Seungri’s first venture into the world of business. Club Burning Sun has been preceded by several businesses by Seungri, including a Japanese ramen restaurant chain, a Belgian waffle cafe, and even a record company co-founded with his agency YG Entertainment. He has even invested in nanotechnology and biotechnology. Jessica Oak at Billboard even goes so far as to write, “Seungri has forged and built an empire all his own during his 13 years in the industry. The superstar has become known as a thriving entrepreneur with business ventures in food, nightlife and music labels”.
Other commenters of Seungri’s rise to fame include Baik Su-jin, a journalist of The Chosun Ilbo. Baik described Seungri’s story as a “rags-to-riches” story when compared to other high-brow celebrities. Baik commented that Seungri was a late bloomer in the spotlight, only coming into his own after the other Big Bang members were absent due to the mandatory military service of at least two years.
Seungri himself has said, “I had a tough time outshining other members of the group, so I studied foreign languages.” He attributes his attempt to succeed at business, in part, because he felt “overlooked and underappreciated” by Big Bang’s fans, being the youngest of the famous group. Seungri felt that business was the one place where he would not have to compete with his hyungs (the Korean honorific of an older male figure).
Seungri has since utilized his popularity as a business asset. One that he and his business partners have benefited from if his successful ventures have been any indication. With such success underneath his belt and his love for the high-life, it is no wonder the 28 year old has garnered the nickname of a similar fashion to Jay Gatsby. He certainly matches the image with the new-money figure in the novel.
…so it is with great irony that a deeper look into his business should reveal the same underlying, underhanded and immoral business practices that Jay Gatsby was suspected of in the novel. And because of Seungri’s involvement, if any, and his relationship to the nightclub, this “dime-a-dozen” outrage soon reached worldwide media coverage.
Kim Sang-kyo (the man assaulted at the club by a club staffer) and his petition for justice and investigation into the inner workings of the club has inadvertently opened up a veritable floodgate of inquiries. Kim coming forward has allowed others to come forward with their own information and knowledge about the practices of the club and the shady nature of the management.
Following the MBC broadcast, KBS (Korean Broadcasting System) soon followed that with a report that added to the wildfire that was the Burning Sun Scandal. They alleged that a former employee of the club came forth and discussed illegal drug use in the VIP rooms. An additional report by MBC, on February 14th of this year, included allegations of a purported VIP client of the club, who said staff solicited him in text messages, offering women who were available for sex, after “preparing them with date rape drugs.”
By 31 January 2019, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency (SMPA) took over the case, which included claims of local Gangnam police corruption and collusion with the club’s owners, and formed a team to investigate the allegations of rape, drug use against the Club, Kim’s arrest and any connection with the local police station. The SMPA said their rapid response and follow-up inquiry was due to media attention from Seungri’s connection to the club and Big Bang. They also said that due to club advertising by unofficial “merchandisers” or “MDs,” they had extended their drug-related claims to all Gangnam clubs.
But as said before, if that had been the end of it, with the petition and the investigation into Seungri and his knowledge (or lack of) about the club’s ongoings, and the extended range of police investigations to include most of the clubs in Gangnam, this would have undoubtedly uncovered truths and lies that people have long since become desensitized to. If that had been the end of it, it is likely that all of this would have been over and done with, with no real result or justice coming from this case, despite the big name attachment Seungri brings to this incident.
Unfortunately, it was not the end. Before long, even more allegations and crimes came into the fold of this once simple (yet all the same detestable) situation. Son, even more heinous truths came to light: Seungri was not the only high-profile celebrity to have been involved in the alleged illegal prostitution and soliciting involved in Club Burning Sun and the underbelly of society in South Korea.
KakaoTalk, Korea’s Preferred IM Platform
For those who don’t know, KakaoTalk (or sometimes KaTalk) is a free mobile instant messaging application for smartphones with free text and free call features, operated by Kakao Corporation. It is also South Korea’s most popular messaging platform. Used by the commonman and celebrities alike, KakaoTalk is the number 1 app in Korea to use for discussion, casual chats, and more.
And, in this instance, it appears to have been the platform used by Seungri and his compatriots to discuss sexual acts of deviance and videography. More specifically, a platform for the K-Pop star and his fellows to send each raunchy photos and videos of each other engaging in sex without the consent of their partners.
SBS FunE released the first portions of the KakaoTalk recordings on February 26, 2019 that would become crucial to the investigation, saying their origin was an anonymous source that turned them over to the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission on February 22. The recordings date back to 2015, and seemed to implicate Seungri with claims that he had directed staff of Club Burning Sun to arrange prostitutes for foreign investors coming to Seoul at another Gangnam club. The police held a press conference on March 4 that essentially stated that the doubted the veracity of the allegations and messages, but they would still follow through with their investigations into the claims.
Claims of veracity would soon be put to rest on March 11, when lawyer Bang Jung-hyun came forth and stated that he was the source of the KakaoTalk messages and that he himself had received them from an anonymous source, who is speculated to be a phone technician from a store that would reveal the second high-profile celebrity to be caught up in this mess of a case: Jung Joon-young.
Jung Joon-young
The involvement of Jung Joon-young, another bad boy of K-Pop who had a similar incident years ago in 2016, regarding the unconsented filming of sex with his then girlfriend, brings to light just how far-reaching this behavior extends. For such a wide range of celebrities of prestige and renown such as the likes of Seungri, Jung Joon-young and other top names, to have been revealed to be embroiled in such a dishonorable and malignant practice is unheard of. And it reveals just how “squeaky clean” the celebrity profile of South Korea truly is. It brings to light the undercurrent societal thinking South Korea has towards half of its population what with sex scandals and illegal prostitution rings popping up throughout the years. And with this reveal, it demonstrates a host of problems that have to be fixed in society today.
The Burning Sun Scandal 