The documentary “Burning Sun – Exposing the Secret K-pop Chat Groups,” released by the BBC on May 19, exposes Seungri’s role as a tycoon who exploited women for profit, causing a public uproar.
Amidst this, moments of the former BIGBANG member interacting with female idols in 2018—one year before his sex scandal was uncovered—have also circulated widely. At the time, many female K-pop stars maintained their distance, showing discomfort and negative opinions about Seungri.
Particularly, in 2018, Seungri appeared in the sitcom “YG Future Strategy Office,” playing the head of HR. Apart from Seungri, many prominent stars, including BLACKPINK members, appeared in the documentary. Notably, while interacting and working with Seungri, BLACKPINK members showed clear apprehension, with Jennie, Jisoo, and Lisa mentioned they felt uncomfortable talking to him.
Well they were not having it, but excuse JISOO for her brutal honesty. pic.twitter.com/zXiKXmnv8b https://t.co/v9rgwqVqxE
— 人 (@ladlovesick) May 20, 2024
Specifically, Seungri met with BLACKPINK members, informing them that they needed to attend an event, asserting it was mandatory for YG artists. In response, Jisoo explained that the group had to shoot a new MV and couldn’t participate. Seungri then autocratically stated that BLACKPINK could film the MV later and had to attend the annual event.
Feeling pressured, Rosé mentioned they needed to consult the company president before making a decision. This response irritated Seungri, who snapped, “You’ve just become famous and already dare to talk like this?” He then turned to Jennie, asking if she wanted to go, to which she shook her head. Realizing he couldn’t force BLACKPINK, Seungri quickly ended the meeting on a sour note.
![jisoo blackpink seungri](https://cdn.kbizoom.com/media/2024/05/22024043/jisoo-blackpink-seungri-1-052224.webp)
After the conversation, Jisoo noted that Seungri had recently been particularly uncomfortable with everyone.
![jennie blackpink-seungri](https://cdn.kbizoom.com/media/2024/05/22024040/jennie-blackpink-seungri-1-052224.webp)
![lisa blackpink-seungri](https://cdn.kbizoom.com/media/2024/05/22024205/lisa-blackpink-seungri-1-052224.webp)
In the documentary, there’s also a notable scene where singer Sunmi candidly stated on camera that senior colleagues, especially females, advised her to stay away from Seungri and not associate with him.
![sunmi seungri](https://cdn.kbizoom.com/media/2024/05/22024050/sunmi-seungri-1-052224.gif)
Seungri’s portrayal in “YG Future Strategy Office” has garnered attention and sparked heated discussions online. Reviewing these moments post-scandal, many found them chilling. Viewers felt that Seungri’s real-life disturbing traits were reflected in his role as the HR head wielding power over others on screen.
![sunmi](https://cdn.kbizoom.com/media/2023/09/13060730/sunmi-1-091923-576x1024.jpg)
Furthermore, after watching BLACKPINK and Sunmi’s remarks about Seungri, fans believe that the girls knew about his darker side and used the scripted opportunity to subtly reveal his true nature.
Source: K14, Krb