▲ Burning Sun Scandal: Convicted on 9 Charges, Seungri
Seungri, formerly of the group Big Bang and a close friend of Jung Joon-young in the past, has been enjoying various events and entertainment in Southeast Asia, including Thailand, Singapore, and Cambodia. In late 2018, Seungri resigned from the position of an executive director at the club Burning Sun amid a series of suspicions. In March 2019, with mounting controversies surrounding Burning Sun, he announced his departure from the entertainment industry.
In January 2020, Seungri was indicted on a total of 8 charges, including prostitution mediation, violation of the Act on the Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes (embezzlement), embezzlement in the line of duty, violations of the Food Sanitation Act, habitual gambling, and violation of the Foreign Exchange Transactions Act. While undergoing military trial after enlisting in March 2020, he faced additional allegations of special assault instruction. In August 2021, he was sentenced to 1 year and 6 months in the first trial, including the new charge. Although he appealed, in May 2022, the Supreme Court upheld convictions on all 9 charges. Following the Supreme Court's guilty verdict, he was transferred to a disciplinary labor camp, served 1 year and 6 months, and was released in February of last year.
During the 25th trial held in July 2021, Seungri, unlike his fellow inmates Jung Joon-young and Choi Jong-hoon, who were serving time for sexual assault, firmly maintained that he had no connection to the sexual assault case. He claimed not to be a member of the infamous "Jung Joon-young KakaoTalk chatroom" at the center of the controversy but was part of a different group chatroom involving Jung Joon-young and others.
▲ Jung Joon-young's Hidden Camera Scandal Involvement, Yong Junhyung
Another close friend of Jung Joon-young, singer Yong Junhyung, received and shared secretly filmed sexual encounter videos taken by Jung Joon-young in a one-on-one chatroom in 2015, engaging in inappropriate conversations. After three years of controversy, in November 2022, Yong Junhyung resumed his activities by releasing the solo album 'LONER.'
Initially denying the allegations of receiving secretly filmed videos from Jung Joon-young, Yong Junhyung hinted at legal actions, but three days later, he reversed his position, staged a dramatic reversal, and issued an apology. At that time, Yong Junhyung, through his agency, stated, "In late 2015, after having drinks with Jung Joon-young, the next day through a one-on-one chatroom, I found out about the fact that an illicit video was taken. Subsequently, I saw the illicit video shared in the one-on-one chatroom and engaged in inappropriate conversations about it." As a result of this incident, he left Highlight (formerly BEAST), the group he was a part of at the time, in March 2019.
In a press conference for the release of his solo album in November 2022, Yong Junhyung, stated, "I was not a member of any 'group chatroom.' However, I am well aware that there were inappropriate aspects in the conversation at that time. I regret not correcting it immediately. I will strive to greet you only with positive news from now on."
On January 18, he publicly announced a romantic relationship by sharing a date photo with singer HyunA on his official account. On the 19th, through a paid fan community message, Yong Junhyung mentioned, "You might have been surprised by the sudden news. We are doing well, receiving positive energy from each other. I hope you watch over us kindly."
▲ Distribution of Obscene Materials: Singer Eddy Kim
Singer Eddy Kim (real name Kim Jung-hwan) is making a comeback after a five-year hiatus. Producer Yoon Jong-shin, who is affiliated with the same agency Mystic Story, supported Eddy Kim's comeback through his music project 'track by YOON,' collaborating with various artists to showcase a variety of music genres.
In March 2019, Eddy Kim was investigated by the police for violating the Information and Communication Network Act related to the distribution of obscene materials and was subsequently referred to the prosecution. The prosecution decided on a suspended indictment, taking into account Eddy Kim's deep reflection, stating that his act of distributing obscene materials was limited to a single instance.
Although Eddy Kim did not directly film or distribute illegal videos, he confirmed to have uploaded one image captured online, leading to a police investigation. In connection with this, Mystic Story, Eddy Kim's agency, officially announced in March 2020, "During the police investigation, it was confirmed that the chatroom Eddy Kim was part of was unrelated to the chatroom where illegal filming materials were shared (by figures like Jung Joon-young), and it was a separate chatroom formed as a hobby."
The agency further stated, "Regardless of the content, Eddy Kim acknowledges that such behavior was reckless and expresses deep reflection. We sincerely apologize to those who may be disappointed. In the future, Eddy Kim will make efforts to act with a heavy sense of responsibility and prudence. We apologize once again for causing concern."
-Why are these dirty guys crawling out again?
-Where are they coming out? Dirty sex offenders. What's Yoon Jong-shin doing? Eddy Kim is hopeless.
-It's really getting disgusting that they're slowly coming out.
-I just hope they all disappear.
-It makes me want to vomit for real.
-Disgusting.
