BIGBANG’s G-Dragon vehemently denied allegations of drug use, but the entertainment industry has already distanced itself from him
The Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency’s drug crime investigation unit announced on Oct 25th that they booked G-Dragon and are investigating him on charges of violating the Narcotics Control Act. The police obtained statements related to G-Dragon’s drug use from A, the head of an entertainment establishment involved in actor Lee Sun-kyun’s alleged drug use, and initiated an investigation.
Following this news, netizens have scrutinized G-Dragon’s actions, such as his behavior in airport departure videos or interview footage, where he appeared restless and had a halting manner of speech. Given that G-Dragon was previously investigated back in 2011 for illegally smoking marijuana, this latest development was met with heightened disappointment.
As the controversy grew, G-Dragon released an official statement through his lawyer on Oct 27th.
He said, “First of all, I didn’t take drugs. I have nothing to do with reports on ‘violation of the Narcotics Control Act’ released by the media recently. However, this issue has caused concerns to many people, so I will actively cooperate with the investigation by the investigative agency and answer faithfully.”
Nevertheless, neither netizens nor the industry seem receptive to G-Dragon’s plea.
Even though G-Dragon’s exclusive contract with YG Entertainment ended, the agency previously stated, “We maintain a cooperative relationship.” However, they now draw a line, “It is difficult to officially respond. He is not our artist anymore.”
Footballer Lee Kang-in, who is part of Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), deleted a photo of himself with G-Dragon and unfollowed G-Dragon’s account. BMW Korea made G-Dragon’s promotional video private, and Chanel, which appointed G-Dragon as its ambassador in 2016, stated, “We are aware of G-Dragon’s case.”
Broadcast restrictions are also under consideration. Lee Dong-kwan, Chairman of the Korea Communications Commission, noted during a general inspection of the National Assembly’s Science, ICT, Future Planning, Broadcasting and Communications Committee on Oct 26th that repeated allegations of drug use by celebrities like Lee Sun-kyun and G-Dragon have become a growing concern. He mentioned that while KBS, MBC and other broadcasting stations have internal regulations for such cases, a more general application will be considered.
In response to Rep. Kim Young-sik of the People Power Party, who asked for measures to prevent broadcasting appearances by drug offenders, Chairman Lee stated that the Commission will explore related measures.
In practice, it appears that G-Dragon is facing an exit from the entertainment industry.
In the meantime, the police are planning to conduct drug tests to identify the type and frequency of drug use by Lee Sun-kyun and G-Dragon. They are also considering imposing a foreign travel ban on both individuals.
