The K-Pop industry is currently mired in the Burning Sun scandal that started in one chat room and led to the discovery of even more digital group conversations where explicit videos were reportedly circulated. In the middle of the controversies are Jung Joon-Young and Seungri, but it was recently revealed that more celebrities joined them in the said chat groups.
The South Korean TV program MBC Newsdesk reported on March 28 (via Allkpop) that the chat rooms where the illegally obtained videos of women in sexual acts had a total of 14 members, 8 of whom are known music artists. Aside from Jung and Seungri, the report named Choi Jong-Hoon (formerly with FT Island), Yong Jun-Hyung (ex-Highlight member), and four other singers. Two of them were only identified as “singer K” and “singer J.”
The remaining group chat members were allegedly Burning Sun nightclub staff, a friend of Jung, and ex-CEO of Yuri Holdings Yoo In-Suk. Aside from sharing illegally recorded videos, the chat rooms were reportedly filled with misogynistic comments. At one point, one of the chat group members purportedly suggested using one of the sex videos as blackmail to make a certain woman pay up her loan.
Earlier this month, Jung retired from the entertainment industry while also admitting to illegally filming women he slept with and spreading them. “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,” Jung said in a statement (via Soompi). Last week, local authorities have arrested the former “2 Days & 1 Night” star.
Meanwhile, The Korea Herald reported that Seungri has also been arrested on March 28 by the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency for allegedly sharing an explicit picture that was also taken without the photo subject’s knowledge. But the authorities have yet to determine whether or not Seungri recorded the image himself. Seungri was also previously booked on alleged sexual bribery to potential business investors on March 10.
