Big Bang singer Seungri retires to clear his name, saying ‘scandal is too big’

This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

Seungri’s taste for the high life earned him the nickname the Great Gatsby of Korea. But now the singer, a member of one of South Korea’s biggest K-pop bands, is facing charges that he procured prostitutes for businessmen in some of Seoul’s most fashionable nightclubs.

The youngest member of Big Bang has announced he will retire to fight the charges and to spare his management agency, YG Entertainment, and fellow band members further embarrassment, according to South Korea’s Yonhap news agency. The decision came after news of the scandal spread on social media on Monday.

Shares in YG slid by almost 16%, while other K-pop management companies also suffered losses.

The 28-year-old was arrested on suspicion of supplying prostitutes to foreign investors at several nightclubs in Seoul’s upmarket Gangnam district.

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Prostitution is illegal in South Korea. The charges against Seungri carry a prison sentence of up to three years. He has denied the allegations.

Police are also investigating claims that the Burning Sun nightclub, where Seungri was a public relations director, was involved in illegal drug use, sexual assaults and police corruption, Yonhap reported. The club’s owner, Lee Moon Ho, said the allegations were unfounded rumours.

Seungri’s arrest is the latest scandal to tarnish the reputation of K-pop, part of the globally successful Hallyu wave of Korean pop culture. The boy band BTS alone are worth about $3.5bn to the South Korean economy every year, according to the Hyundai Research Institute.

Seungri is not the first member of Big Bang to have made the headlines for the wrong reasons. In 2011, G-Dragon was caught smoking marijuana during a concert tour of Japan, and in 2017, rapper TOP received a 10-month suspended sentence for marijuana use.

The incidents involving YG stars prompted some to joke that the company’s initials stand for Yak-Guk – Korean for drugstore.

Seungri, whose real name is Lee Seung-hyun, wrote on his Instagram account that he had decided to quit the pop industry. “It would be better for me to retire from the entertainment scene at this point,” he said. “As this scandal is too big, I have decided to retire. As for the ongoing investigation, I will take it seriously to clear myself of all the allegations.

“I give my heartfelt, sincere thanks to fans at home and abroad who gave their love for the past 10 years, and I think this should be it for the sake of the reputation of YG and Big Bang.”

The investigation has prompted speculation the singer will be unable to begin his national service this month. All able-bodied South Korean men aged 18-35 must serve for a minimum of 21 months, a measure seen as a deterrent against North Korean aggression.

Seungri was due to enrol on 25 March but could ask for a deferment while he addresses the allegations.

Police have said they would still be able to conduct their investigation while Seungri is serving in the army, and military officials have said the singer would have to submit a written request for deferment.

South Korean media reported that officers had confiscated Seungri’s passport now that he was officially regarded as a suspect.

The quintet, who have sold more than 140m records since their 2006 debut, are taking a break while three of them carry out military service. Seungri has cancelled the remaining dates in his solo tour.

Much of the reaction to his arrest has been damning, with some fans calling for him to be kicked out of the band.

“I have faced heavy criticism from the public for the last month and a half and I’m being probed by all investigative authorities in the country,” he said in his Instagram post. “As I’ve been branded as a ‘national traitor’, I cannot stand the fact that I’m harming others for my own sake.”

But some fans pledged their support for the singer. Bloomberg quoted one social media user as saying: “We call on the real fans’ voice, do not fall into the shameless trap, we support Seungri!”