The Burning Sun Scandal: A Shocking Revelation
Imagine your favorite idol, the one you admire for their innocence and kindness, suddenly revealed as one of the biggest criminals, involved in activities you've only seen in mafia movies. There has never been a case in K-pop as shocking as Burning Sun. When the BBC World Service's award-winning investigations team, BBC Eye, released their documentary Burning Sun: Exposing the Secret K-pop Chat Group on YouTube, it went viral, reaching millions of views in just days. This documentary brought back the trauma that has haunted the Korean entertainment industry for years. The case turned out to be much deeper than it appeared on the surface, leaving us to wonder—what really happened to the perpetrators?
The Burning Sun case earned its name from the location of the crimes, a VIP nightclub in Seoul called Burning Sun, owned by Seungri. This club became the backdrop for one of the most complicated scandals to hit Korea, extending beyond the realm of K-pop. This scandal revealed the hidden lives of some of the most prominent Korean idols—Seungri, a former member of Big Bang, Jung Joon-young, and Choi Jong-hoon, a former member of FT Island.
Jung Joon-young was famous as the youngest member of Big Bang, often teased by his older bandmates. Jung Joon-young was known for his quirky behavior and his entertaining quiz answers on variety shows. Choi Jong-hoon always maintained a perfect image. He was the quiet, handsome member admired by everyone, almost portraying a charming, shy persona. They all portrayed a harmless image.
The case initially grabbed public attention in 2016 when Jung Joon-young was accused of sharing illegally recorded videos of his then-girlfriend. Jung handed his phone over to a private forensics lab before submitting it to the police, while his lawyer pressured both the lab and the victim. Fans blamed Jung's girlfriend for lying, and the police closed the case after a half-hearted investigation. However, a copy of Jung's phone made by the forensics company survived. Three years later, SBS Entertainment News reporter Kang Kyung-yoon, who had been investigating the case, obtained this copy. She uncovered a secret K-pop idol chat group on KakaoTalk, a popular instant messaging app in South Korea. The chat room contained several illegally recorded videos of women, and shockingly, the BBC documentary reveals that some K-pop idols were actively sharing and commenting on these videos.
Following this revelation, reporter Kang published her meticulously researched story, leading to the arrest of the first culprit, Jung Joon-young. The arrest inspired other victims to step forward and file charges. It required immense courage, especially considering how the public had initially turned against Jung's girlfriend when she first reported him to the police. Their bravery resulted in significant court cases against other former superstars who had previously presented themselves as wholesome.
Around the same time, an incident occurred at Burning Sun. The victim, Mr. Kim, swiftly uploaded a petition to the Blue House, Korea's presidential office. In the petition, he detailed his side of the story and what he witnessed at Burning Sun. The release of CCTV footage of the incident sparked further investigation, unveiling larger crimes taking place there and how they were linked to the idol's secret chat room. The Burning Sun club was shut down on February 17, 2019. The prevailing emotion among viewers was anger, particularly directed at the light sentences given to the perpetrators in contrast to the seriousness of the case.
The Sentences
Jung Joon-young left the entertainment industry on March 12, 2019, and received a five-year prison sentence. Choi Jong-hoon stepped down from his position on March 14, 2019, and was sentenced to two and a half years. Seungri resigned from the Korean entertainment industry on March 11, 2019. He was found guilty of nine crimes, sentenced to 18 months in prison, and fined after an appeal. Now, all the perpetrators have been released. Pretty shocking, huh? And that raises the next question: where are they now?
Jung Joon-young
After serving five years, he was released in March of this year from a prison in Mokpo, South Jeolla. Initially, he was sentenced to six years in prison, 80 hours of sexual violence treatment, and a five-year restriction on working in institutions caring for children or the disabled. However, in November 2019, Jung appealed the decision. The appellate court reduced the sentence to five years in April 2020, prompting further appeals from both Jung and the prosecutors. Despite these appeals, the Supreme Court upheld Jung's prison term in September 2020.
According to an exclusive report by Xports News on May 2, Jung Joon-young was taking steps toward resuming his music career as a producer. Aware of the public's negative perception post-release, reportedly, Jung Joon-young has reached out to industry contacts, proposing collaborations on various music projects and expressing his desire to continue his music career as a producer rather than a singer. On SBS Love FM's radio show, reporter Kang Kyung-yoon, who was featured in the BBC documentary, revealed some additional backstory. According to Kang, Jung Joon-young is planning to emigrate to another country.
Choi Jong-hoon
Choi was initially given a five-year prison sentence, but this was reduced to two years and six months after he reached a settlement with his victims. After serving his sentence, the former idol was released in November 2021. In January 2022, a news agency called The Fact shared footage of Choi attending a church service with his mother. In the parking lot, a reporter approached Choi with a recording device and asked whether he had any plans to return to the entertainment industry. Choi refused to answer and instead said, "...I also have bad trauma and shock from the scandal. I don't know what to say to you when you are coming at me with a recording device."
In January of this year, a surprising piece of news caught the attention of Korean netizens. It was reported that former FT Island member Choi Jong-hoon would be returning to the Japanese entertainment industry. According to reports, Choi has created an account on Japan's premier fan community platform, Fanicon. This platform allows fans to interact with celebrities for a monthly subscription fee of $4. He also posted a message on the platform, saying, "...It's been about five years since I last communicated with you all. Your messages have given me strength and helped me become a healthier version of myself. I am truly grateful." Korean netizens strongly disapprove of this news, given Choi Jong-hoon's past legal troubles.
Seungri’s Life After Prison
While the other two seem to keep a low profile with little news coverage, Seungri, on the other hand, continues to be in the media spotlight. Netizens are angry because he appears to be leading a normal life, even using his past fame as an idol. Initially sentenced to three years on nine charges, Seungri was released on February 9, 2023, after serving 18 months, much to the surprise of netizens. A month after his release, SPOTV News reported that he seems to be doing well. According to his acquaintances, Seungri is maintaining a cheerful attitude in his day-to-day life. One of his acquaintances even claimed, "...Seungri called up his close acquaintances, including celebrities, and invited them out, saying, 'Let's go clubbing.'"
In the same month, Dispatch published a report stating that Seungri and his rumored girlfriend, model influencer Yoo Hye-won, were seen on vacation in Bangkok, Thailand. Later, in October 2023, Dispatch revealed another scandal—Seungri was spotted in Bali, Indonesia, two-timing with two different women. One of them stated, "...That man will never change."
Source: KPOPNook. (2024, June 8). Your Oppa is a criminal: Where are the Burning Sun idols now? [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0cPfTq1uqNY