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).
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.
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.
Again, I am sorry and apologize once again.
I have been thankful to everyone until now.
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, 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, 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.
Sources:
- https://www.soompi.com/article/1300134wpp/burning-sun-club-issues-statements-in-response-to-controversies
- https://www.soompi.com/article/1300537wpp/yang-hyun-suk-shares-statement-regarding-seungri-and-his-relation-to-burning-sun-club
- https://www.soompi.com/article/1309816wpp/jung-joon-young-admits-to-crimes-in-letter-of-apology
- https://www.soompi.com/article/1316572wpp/roy-kim-and-eddy-kim-admit-to-sharing-illegally-taken-photos-choi-jong-hoon-admits-to-illegal-filming
- https://www.soompi.com/article/1315101wpp/choi-jong-hoon-admits-to-bribing-police-to-cover-up-past-drunk-driving-incident
- https://www.soompi.com/article/1348552wpp/seungri-arrives-at-police-station-for-questioning-on-gambling-suspicions
- https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20190228003400315
- http://en.koreaportal.com/articles/46589/20190131/bigbangs-seungri-reportedly-resigns-as-director-of-burning-sun-club-issues-response-to-assault-scandal.htm
- https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/k-town/8502216/jung-joon-young-confesses-filming-women-without-consent-south-korean-sexual-crime-ring
The Burning Sun Scandal 
I was also surprised when I see Jung Joon-young was also involved in this, since I was thinking him cute when I watch his show. However, after knowing this scandal, not only me, also everyone I think hate them and waited them go to jail. I never thought women be treated like that in modern society. This kind of actions do not even consider women’s right. I was shocked and shamed. I don’t even think Lee Sung-hyun really regret what he done at that time. But seeing Jung Joon-young went to jail, we are relaxed a little.
LikeLike
It’s funny how you should mention this. I never really had much contact or exposure to Jung Joon-young outside of this scandal. The scandal was actually the context in which I was first introduced to the guy. I felt nothing but disgust for him after hearing the details about what he did to the women associated with him and this case. But after a while, I got curious and decided to look him up. I am a big fan of his music and think him to be a wonderful personality on television. But since I was exposed to his true nature after hearing about this scandal, what I mostly felt was disgust that he could go on these shows and act like he had done nothing wrong. And the fact that Jung Joon-young himself admitted that he had no guilt over his acts.
LikeLike
You’ve got a type in “(nt to be confused for Seungri’s real name)” if I’m not mistaken. It’s in the second paragraph.
I find it hard to believe that he is trying to get out of the situation by resigning from all of his positions with the convenient excuse of military time at such a time.
LikeLike
What do you find hard to believe? The fact that he is trying to distance himself from all of the accusations or the fact that he is resigning due to his mandatory military service coming up?
LikeLike
That was phrased poorly. I find it hard to believe that he is getting away with distancing himself from the situation by retiring at such a convenient time.
LikeLike
In that case, then don’t worry. He is not getting away with anything. Retiring does not truly have any effect on the investigation itself, and Seungri cannot escape this investigation with his military service. If he had enlisted into the military at this time, then the military would have had to scrounge up their own team of investigators into this situation and that would have complicated things since the military is somewhat apart from normal police work. However, Seungri’s military enlistment has been approved to be held off until such a time that this scandal is dealt with.
LikeLike
My sorority sisters are obsessed with K-Pop and I have seen this guy several times. I was confused and trying to put a face to the name when I looked him up. I am about to show my sisters this! I think it is crazy that his on and off screen personalities are complete opposite- shows that the media only depicts one portrait, and it’s not an accurate one…
LikeLike
I can completely understand the sentiment of not really seeing the linkage between the two personalities. And I personally did not see it coming. If you didn’t know, I am Korean and I watch a lot of variety shows that originate from Korea. I also listen and watch a lot of musical performances by the various K-Pop bands. I have seen Seungri many times in the programs I watch and he was always so polite and hard-working (if a bit full of himself at times). To have had this scandal come to the spotlight was a huge shock for me since I have followed Big Bang since I was 10 years old. But sometimes the greatest of lies can be concealed, and this time they just came to light (sorry if that’s a bit corny but I whole-heartedly believe in it).
LikeLike
These contradictory stories remind me of Saudi Arabia’s scramble to cover up the murder of Jamal Khashoggi. I just hope that the parallels stop at the scramble and reveal of all the conspirators and participants, as allowing this to stop without full accountability for Seungri would be as much a shame as Prince Bin Salman’s being let off the hook.
LikeLike
I have never heard of this case and I believe I will be looking into it to see if I can’t draw the same comparisons you are. Also, it is very unlikely that the Korean public will let Seungri get away with this. Seungri is a celebrity who is an idol to many younger people and kids, so for him to have done something so heinous is not something the older generation of Korea will let getaway. There is certainly some small amount of sympathy for the “young, hard-working, idol,” but they are all of the consensuses that he needs to be punished.
LikeLike