Seungri slapped with another charge
SEOUL: Police added an additional charge against Lee Seung-hyun, also known as Seungri of Big Bang, for sharing an illegally-shot photograph on Thursday, adding to the already ongoing investigation into the singer on charges of soliciting sex services in 2015.
The police found that the former singer uploaded an explicit photograph taken illegally through his KakaoTalk chat app, although they have yet to find out who took the photograph in the first place.
Fellow celebrity Jung Joonyoung has been charged for illegally shooting videos of himself having sex with women without their consent and sharing the files in various conversations on KakaoTalk.
One group chat included Jung, Lee and six others who are said to be related to the ongoing sex and drugs scandal that sparked from a club named Burning Sun in southern Seoul.
Thursday’s news contradicts what Lee said in an interview with local newspaper Chosun Ilbo on Mar 23, in which he explained that he tried to stop Jung from his illegal actions.
“I told him, ‘Stop doing that kind of stuff, it’s going to get you in big trouble,’” said Lee. “It was to everyone, not just Jung Joonyoung.”
In the interview, Lee denied all allegations made against him, but did admit that he spread the picture during questioning, according to police.
Meanwhile, while many Taiwanese actor friends of Seungri are deserting him, some are sticking by him.
Chen Bolin, according to Chinese online portal Sina’s entertainment report Wednesday, told journalists in Taiwan that he and Seungri are “just friends” and he “doesn’t know well about his business or what he does.”
But witnesses said Chen visited the Burning Sun - a Seoul nightclub at the centre of the scandal in Gangnam district that was believed partly managed by Seungri - in January for the Korean star’s “mega-scale” birthday party, according to reports. There were photos of Chen and the club’s DJ.
After the scandal emerged and police investigations began early this month, Chen wrote on Instagram: “Embrace kindness. Forgive ignorance. A beautiful world with irresponsible comments.” The Mar. 17 post seemingly reflected the actor’s candid thoughts regarding the scandal.
But Taiwanese actor Darren Wang unfollowed Seungri on social networks and deleted photos of himself with the Korean from the websites, according to Sports Chosun.
Wang was known to have met Seungri at the January birthday party and was with Chen in the photo with the Burning Sun DJ.
Another Taiwanese star, Kai Ko, who has faced illegal drug use charges, was rumoured to have visited the Burning Sun in January. The club is being probed by the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency for, among other charges, alleged distribution of illegal drugs that were used to sexually harass female customers. Ko’s visit stirred a rumour he went to the club possibly to obtain drugs.
Before the scandal erupted, the former boy band Big Bang member operated a Japanesestyle ramen restaurant chain, Aori Ramen, at over 50 locations in Korea and overseas and stepped down from a Burning Sun executive post. His other businesses ranged from a waffle cafe to electronic music label Natural High Records and a dance academy.