K-Pop Journalist. Online Editor.
Singers Roy Kim and Eddy Kim have confessed to distributing illegally taken photos and former FT Island member Choi Jong-hoon admitted to illegally filming obscene footage. The media was reportedly shared on a KakaoTalk group chat room that other K-Pop stars were also members of. …
Singer Seungri has been charged with illegal distribution of pornography after he admitted to participating in the circulation of hidden camera footage without consent. On March 28, the Seoul National Police Agency confirmed that the former Big Bang member has been booked for the criminal …
It’s arguably one of the biggest scandals that upended the South Korean entertainment industry and the country. A series of investigations into corrupt and illicit activities in the nightlife and entertainment industries and possibly police corruption, have been reportedly revealed among multiple high-profiled Korean entertainers. Here’s a brief guide on what’s been happening and who has been involved so far:
Nicknamed South Korea’s ‘Great Gatsby’ for his lavish lifestyle, Seungri is at the centre of the scandal for a slew of severe allegations, that includes soliciting prostitutes for businessmen at one of Seoul’s upscale night clubs and watching spycam porn.
Though Seungri denied any wrongdoings and YG Entertainment’s stocks took a tumble, he abruptly retired from the entertainment industry last week to protect the reputation of the music agency and mega boy band Big Bang.
The case was opened up following investigations of Burning Club, which was involved in illegal activities. Korean SBS funE reporter Kang Kyung Yoon revealed chat conversations between a circle of male entertainers, including Seungri, discussing illicit and illegal situations and joked about drugging and raping women. It also showed the star supplying prostitutes to prospective business investors.
Last Wednesday, singer and television personality Jung Joon-young confessed to having secretly filmed and shared sexually explicit footage of at least 10 women he slept with without their consent in a KakaoTalk chat room (South Korea’s dominant messaging app) that allegedly included other Korean entertainers between 2015 and 2016.
The women were reported to be rookie entertainers and university students in their 20s. He confessed he “didn’t feel a great sense of guilt” when uploading the film footage in the group chat.
Two days after Seungri retired following a string of scandals, Jung, who rose to fame on a TV talent show, was axed from his agency and faced police investigation for his alleged illegal activities.
Last Thursday, rapper-songwriter Yong Jun-hyung, 29, apologised and announced his departure from boy band Highlight, formerly known as Beast, after confirming to the knowledge and viewership of the illicit sex video taken by singer Jung Joon-young, who shared it via one-on-one KakaoTalk messages. He also admitted that he participated in “inappropriate conversations” about it in December 2015.
“All these behaviours were extremely unethical, and I was stupid,” he said on Instagram, according to a translation by Yonhap News Agency.
Yong was not part of the controversial group chat with Jung and Seungri and has denied it himself.
Hours after Yong Jun-hyung’s announcement, FNC Entertainment announced that FT Island’s leader and guitarist Choi Jong-hoon will leave the rock band and will permanently retire from the entertainment industry amid allegations of benefiting from police corruption and favouritism as well as alleged involvement in the sex scandal.
Screenshots of chat conversations were disclosed, revealing messages that hinted the singer of having asked a high-ranking police official to cover his DUI from appearing in the newspapers three years ago.
Choi is also under investigation on suspicion of illegally sharing a photo/video of a woman sleeping in the group chat room.
Lee Jong-hyun, a member of idol rock band CNBLUE, was also reported to be involved in the in the controversial chat room.
FNC Entertainment confirmed that their artist, who is currently serving in the country’s mandatory military, viewed Jung Joon-young’s footage and made inappropriate remarks that degraded women.
South Korean cable TV network MBN reported that the hidden camera videos and photos were shared between eight people — Seungri, Jung Joon-young, Choi Jong-hoon, CEO Yoo of Yoori Holdings, club employee Kim, a former YG employee, relative of a girl group member and a friend of Jung Joon Young — in the chat room. Yong Jun-hyung and Lee Jong-hyun were part of separate chats.
The plethora of allegations continue to gain widespread attention in South Korea. This scandal goes beyond the squeaky-clean world of K-Pop and is part of a wider problem in South Korea. It delves into issues like drugs, prostitution, sex bribery, police corruption and hidden cameras, known as molka.
In addition to being acquainted with Yoo In Suk, a senior Superintendent Officer has already confessed he used his position to cover up a former FT Island member’s DUI in 2016 and other activities.
Police are still investigating, and suspects have been taken in for questioning.
Client: Gulf News tabloid!
BTS never fail to keep their fans on their toes, especially teasing them with their latest next project. After a series of mysterious teaser images were uploaded on Instagram with a cryptic caption, BTS’s agency Big Hit Entertainment confirmed the popular septet will hold an …
South Korean boy band BTOB — an acronym for Born To Beat — are making their summer comeback with their 11th mini album This is Us on Monday, eight months after releasing their second studio album Brother Act. Ahead of their new album release, here are five things …
Fans of popular boy band Exo, Exo-Ls, can now get a glimpse of an additional member’s life. Kim Jong-in, also known as Kai, surprised fans last week by opening a new personal Instagram account three years after deleting it.
After posting for the first time, the K-pop star’s account gained 1 million followers in a little over 15 hours. This in turn has placed him on the top three of the fastest Instagram accounts to gain a huge following in a day, even beating Kylie Jenner’s record of reaching 806,000 followers in the first 10 hours.
While Pope Francis holds the fastest record to reach 1 million Instagram followers within 12 hours of launching his account, Kai is the second Instagrammer to gain one million followers in a short time on the photo and video-sharing app. Kylie Jenner is currently in third place followed by footballer legend Cristiano Ronaldo and South Indian internet sensation Priya Prakash Varrier.
Kai’s Instagram followers are expected to increase following the excitement of local and international EXO-Ls.
Client: Gulf News tabloid!
Wanna One dominated major Korean real-time charts with the launch of their special album 1÷x=1 (Undivided) on June 4. Immediately after its release, the 11 members’ electro-pop lead song, Light, soared to No 1 on seven of Korea’s real-time charts that includes Naver, Melon, Soribada, Mnet, Genie, Olleh …
K-pop girl groups Twice and Apink are confirmed to make a summer comeback with new Korean albums next month. After one-year hiatus, Apink are set to return as six-member group since their last EP Pink Up and hit single, Five. Despite preparing to release their first Japanese album, …
Super Junior shared behind-the-scenes footage of their Dubai visit last April ahead of the season two premiere of the group’s variety show Super TV.
As part of TV in Super TV, a spin-off of Super TV 2, Super Junior gave access to fans wondering what went down while they were in the city for the SMTown Live World Tour VI.
Donghae and Yesung were seen actively filming all their interactions between the members and their label-mates, from chatting during their plane ride, rehearsing before the big show to hanging out with the other artists backstage.
Super TV season two returned with its first episode on June 7 and will air every Thursday on Korean TV channel XtvN.
While the members continue to film Super TV 2, Super Junior’s sub-unit Super Junior-D&E, featuring Donghae and Eunhyuk, are set to release their full-length Japanese album, Style, on August 8.
Client: Gulf News tabloid!
Following their debut showcase with the Moombahton Trap single Latata in May, Cube Entertainment’s newest girl group (G)I-DLE has already garnered a fan following online and an increasing interest in their music, leading them to also enter international music charts. The six-piece multinational group’s album entered Billboard’s …