Afer Jung Joon Young, Choi Jong Hoon, and Yoo In Suk, Seungri also has eventually been found guilty of a series of crimes related to the Burning Sun nightclub and Kakao chatrooms.
On August 12, one of the most important figures in the Burning Sun scandal, Seungri, was sentenced to three years in jail and a fine of 1.15 billion won by the Court for arranging prostitution and gambling. Thus, the shocking Burning Sun scandal was also dug up.
Starting with an assault case inside the Burning Sun nightclub, a series of facts about the nightclub were revealed, including prostitution, gambling, rape, and so on, resulting in Korea’s biggest scandal. Several well-known celebrities have also been arrested for illegal activities. This was also the biggest scandal of 2019, which shook the whole of Asia. All four people who played key roles in the Burning Sun scandal have been convicted by the court so far, following two years of apparently unending stretching. So, what is the punishment for them?
Seungri: three years for arranging prostitution and gambling.
Seungri was the former owner of the Burning Sun nightclub and the most crucial figure of the scandal. Since the incident surfaced, dozens of trials had been held, but the judge could not impeach the former BIGBANG member until August 12, 2021.
The former Big Bang member had been indicted without detention in 2020 for allegedly organizing prostitutes for investors, embezzlement, bribery, illegal gambling, and violating foreign currency exchange and food hygiene laws. However, he had repeatedly denied all these allegations.
On August 12, the court announced the final sentence for the male idol of 3 years in prison and a fine of 1.15 billion won. Seungri was prosecuted for arranging prostitution for investors from Taiwan, Japan, Hong Kong,… in exchange for investment money for Burning Sun nightclub and other businesses. Seungri is also accused of appropriating about 528 million won from an investment fund and regularly gambling in Las Vegas from December 2013 to August 2017, with a total amount of up to 2.2 billion won.
In July, military court prosecutors reportedly declared the male idol had “shown no remorse and shifted blame to other people despite enjoying large benefits from his crimes”; therefore, the public wants him to be severely punished. According to reports in the Korean press, Seungri is likely to appeal, thus this may not be the last sentence for the former BIGBANG member.
Yoo In Suk: 1 year and 8 months in prison suspended for 3 years on the charges of embezzling business funds, procuring prostitution, and violating food sanitation laws.
Yoo In Suk is a close friend of Seungri’s and the husband of actress Park Han Byul. In addition, he is a co-owner of Yuri Holdings, a business that invests in Burning Sun. After the Burning Sun scandal broke out and Seungri rejected all charges, many witnesses testified that Yoo In Suk was the one who personally arranged prostitution for Japanese investors.
According to a prostitute’s testimony, she was summoned to Seungri’s house and conducted prostitution at Yoo In Suk’s request. A former Burning Sun CEO also actually admitted that he received instructions from Yoo In Suk.
During the trial on June 3, 2020, Park Han Byul’s husband admitted all charges related to the Burning. After the incident, actress Park Han Byul withdrew from the entertainment industry and stayed with her son on Jeju Island.
Jung Joon Young: 5 years in jail for sexual assault, gang rape, illegal filming, and illegal distribution of videos.
Jung Joon Young and Choi Jong Hoon were in the same Kakao chat groups. They frequently shared recordings of them drugging, raping, and surreptitiously filming women. Many female celebrities were said to have been victims of Jung Joon Young and his disgusting group of friends.
The police could only accuse Jung Joon Young and Choi Jong Hoon of sexually assaulting a victim in Hongdae, Seoul, in January 2016 and a victim in Daegu, South Korea, in March 2016. The male singer was first sentenced to 6 years in jail by the court. His sentence then was reduced to 5 years in jail due to his honest proclamation and contrite attitude.
Korean internet users were outraged by the sentencing, believing that it was too mild a punishment for a serious sex offender and that Jung Joon Young would not be adequately punished. Jung Joon Young’s ex-girlfriend most recently submitted a petition to the Blue House on May 8, alleging the male singer of secretly filming her. This girl had previously accused Jung Joon Young for the first time in 2016 but retracted the denunciation because she was afraid of being sued for slander by the male singer.
Choi Jong Hoon: 2 and a half years in prison for sexual assault, gang rape, secret filming, and illegal video distribution
Choi Jong Hoon was the famous leader of FTIsland until he was exposed. Choi Jong Hoon was also in Jung Joon Young’s chat group. Together, they committed sexual crimes such as rape, secretly filming, etc.
Choi Jong Hoon and Jung Joon Young were both charged with sexually assaulting a drunk woman in Hongdae, Seoul in January 2016 and another in Daegu in March 2016. Initially, he was sentenced to 5 years in prison but was later reduced to 2 and a half years in prison due to his good behavior.
Even during the trial, the Judge stated that Choi Jong Hoon would not have to do his mandatory military service. According to Korean Law, those sentenced to more than 1 year and 6 months will not have to enlist in the army, as prison time is already counted in wartime labor. This decision of the Court had angered Korean netizens.
