Former K-pop idol Seungri has been indicted for prostitution and habitual gambling. This comes a year after the allegations first came to light in a sexual abuse scandal that rocked South Korea's entertainment industry. Seungri has denied all allegations.
The indictment is the most recent event in the Burning Sun scandal, which revealed the scale of a sexual abuse scandal in the Gangnam district. More than 350 people were arrested in the operation.
Several other K-pop stars have been embroiled in the scandal, with singer-songwriter Jung Joon Young admitting to filming himself having sex and sharing the footage without his partners' consent. He was sentenced to six years in prison.
Seungri, whose real name is Lee Seung-hyun, avoided spending time on remand at a hearing at Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office on January 30, after being charged with organising prostitution, habitual gambling, and violation of the Foreign Exchange Transactions Act, reports aceshowbiz.com.
Seungri's involvement in the case was as a part-owner and public relations liaison of a nightclub in Seoul's exclusive Gangnam district.
The charges come a year after a string of women reported that they were "drugged and served to men" at clubs in South Korea. Soon Seungri exited from the entertainment business.
"It would be better for me to retire from the entertainment business at this poin. As for the ongoing probe, I will take the investigation seriously to clear all allegations," he said in a statement on Instagram in March 2019.
He added he was concerned he would cause "further damage to people around me", and he would be "criticised by the public" besides "being treated as a nation's enemy during the investigation."
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