Prostitution and ‘molka’: A timeline of the K-pop sex scandals
2018 February
Big Bang’s Seungri announced that he would be opening a new club in Gangnam called Burning Sun. 2019 01.28 MBCNews Desk reported on an assault case in Burning Sun. Victim Mr. Kim reportedly helped a woman being sexually harassed. When the police arrived, Mr. Kim was arrested as an assailant.
02.01
YG Entertainment’s CEO, Yang Hyun-suk, denied that Seungri was still the executive director of Burning Sun. He said Seungri already resigned to comply with laws regarding military service as his enlistment was approaching.
02.16
During his solo concert in Seoul, Seungri addressed the Burning Sun scandal and apologized to the fans.
02.17
Burning Sun was shut down as police investigated drug dealing in clubs in Gangnam.
02.26
SBS reported a whistleblower’s copy of chat messages exchanged by Seungri and business partners in 2015 implying the hiring of sexual escort services for foreign investors of Club Arena, another prominent club in Gangnam.
02.27
Dispatch reported on Seungri’s luxurious birthday party in Amanpulo, Philippines, in 2017 where he hired women from hostess clubs in Korea to entertain VIP guests and potential investors.
02.28
Seungri’s drug tests proved negative in the first round.
03.08
MBCNews shared Burning Sun internal documents showing Seungri invested 225 million won (approximately $198,600) in the club and listing him as a corporate promoter.
03.09
Big Bang fans on DC Gallery petitioned for Seungri to be removed from the group and YG’s roster.
03.10
Seungri was booked and questioned by police on charges of violating South Korea’s laws against sex trafficking and prostitution. Police also raided Club Arena to gather evidence against Seungri.
Meanwhile, results of Seungri’s follicle drug test proved negative.
03.11
Seungri announced on his Instagram that he would be retiring from the entertainment industry to protect the honor of YG and Big Bang. Police prohibited Seungri from leaving the country.
SBS reported there was a chatroom where hidden camera footage and photos were shared between Seungri, two male singers with surnames Jung and Choi, and four others.
The network also reported there was footage that showed Jung Joon-young engaging in sexual intercourse with women filmed without consent and some were even drugged. At least 10 victims were confirmed. He had other chatrooms where he shared the same videos with two other singers with surnames Yong and Lee, according to SBS.
03.12
Joon-young’s agency responded that he was returning to South Korea to cooperate with police investigations. He was removed from all his variety shows including “2 Days and 1 Night.” He was immediately booked by the police upon arrival in South Korea and prohibited from leaving the country.
03.13
Lawyer Bang Jung-hyun revealed he was the person who sent the KakaoTalk conversation data to the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission on behalf of an original whistleblower. Bang said the chat messages amounted to tens of thousands of messages that were shared across eight months between 2015 and 2016. It was revealed the chat messages were accessed when Jung Joon-young brought his phone to be repaired.
Make Us Entertainment terminated their contract with Joon-young and YG Entertainment confirmed that it had terminated Seungri’s contract with the agency. Joon-young admitted to hidden camera crimes in an apology letter.
SBS reported that in 2016, when Joon-young first faced an illegal filming case, a police officer requested the digital forensics company say that the data couldn’t be restored on his phone.
YTN reported that FT Island’s Choi Jong-hoon used his police connections to cover up a drunk-driving incident from February 2016. SBS reported on alleged text messages between him, Joon-young, Seungri and other noncelebrities, discussing payment being made to police to cover up the accident. FNC Entertainment denied the allegations regarding Choi Jong-hoon.
03.14
Yong Jun-hyung announced on Instagram that he was leaving his group Highlight. He revealed he was aware of Joon-young’s hidden-camera footage and had discussed it in one-on-one chat conversations but that he was not part of any group chats.
Seungri, Joon-young and CEO Yoo Insuk of Yuri Holdings appeared at the police station for the investigation. Joon-young’s maximum sentence could be seven years and six months of jail time.
More chats of Seungri prostituting women to clients surfaced.
Chats between Joon-young and CNBlue’s Lee Jong-hyun were revealed. In the conversations, Lee Jong-hyun allegedly asked Joon-young to supply him with women.
03.15
Joon-young went through 21 hours of questioning in the first round of police investigations, and handed over his phone “just as it is.”
Seungri announced a request for a delay in his military enlistment.
CNBlue’s Lee Jong-hyun apologized for his involvement but made no announcement of leaving his band or retiring from the industry. Fans protested this decision and threatened to boycott him.
KBS’ hit show, “2 Days and 1 Night,” halted broadcast and went on an indefinite hiatus, apologizing for having Joon-young back in the show in 2016.
03.16
FT Island’s Choi Jong-hoon arrived at the police station for investigation. He denied asking the police to cover up his DUI three years ago.
FNC Entertainment denied the rumors spreading online that CNBlue’s Lee Jong-hyun had sexually harassed or sexually assaulted people.
03.17
Choi Jong-hoon completed the first round of police questioning at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency after 21 hours.
Actors Cha Tae-hyun and Kim Joon- ho left their shows after chats with Joon-young revealed they illegally gambled by placing bets on a game of golf. Cha, Kim and Joon-young were all in the cast of “2 Days and 1 Night.”
03.19
Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office asked a Seoul court to issue an arrest warrant for Jung Joon-Young.