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Troubled K-pop stars released after marathon interrogation

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Singer Seungri leaves the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency in Seoul, Friday, afternoon after hours of questioning over allegations of sexual misdeed. / Yonhap
Singer Seungri leaves the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency in Seoul, Friday, afternoon after hours of questioning over allegations of sexual misdeed. / Yonhap

By Kim Jae-heun

Singers Seungri of K-pop band BIGBANG and Jung Joon-young underwent hours of questioning over allegations of sexual misdeeds, Friday.

Seungri, who had allegedly arranged sexual services for prospective foreign investors in his business, was released at 6:14 a.m., 16 hours after he was summoned to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency on Thursday afternoon.

"I sincerely underwent questioning," Seungri said as he left the police agency. "I will officially request the Military Manpower Administration to postpone my enlistment. If permitted, I want to take responsibility to finish my interrogation before I go."

The K-pop idol announced abruptly he would enter the Army later this month to fulfill his mandatory service when the controversy related to reported drug abuse and sexual violence at the nightclub Burning Sun became a hot potato.

Asked if Seungri had admitted to providing prostitutes, his lawyer said an official statement would be released soon.

Seungri did not answer when asked if he was the real owner of Burning Sun and whether the disclosed messages he shared with his business partner on Kakao Talk were fabricated.

A local media outlet revealed recently the content of mobile phone messages Seungri shared with Yu, a co-CEO of Yuri Holdings who founded Burning Sun with the singer.

In the reported conversation in December 2015, Seungri discussed with Yu the types of women to call for foreign investors when the two were preparing to establish an investment company. There were other staff in the group chat and Seungri ordered them to book a nightclub in Gangnam to entertain his foreign investors.

Co-CEO Yu was also summoned to undergo interrogation and left six hours before Seungri.

Police said they received two mobile phones from Seungri and Yu but did not confirm if they were the devices the two used to share the controversial messages in 2015.

Singer Jung arrived at the same police agency at 10 a.m. on Thursday before Seungri's appearance, and left after him.

Jung is accused of secretly recording sex videos of his partners and sharing them with friends in a group chat, which means they could then be spread online.

Nearly 10 women are said to have been filmed, mostly celebrities including actresses.

Jung said he sincerely and honestly faced the interrogation and also turned in his second phone that contained the phone numbers of many female celebrities.

Popular rapper Zico mentioned the sex videos in a television talk show in 2016, and later a local media outlet suggested that Jung may be hiding his sex videos on his phone.

Jung turned in three mobile phones, but he did not admit to recording the sex videos.

Local media also reported correspondence between the two stars claiming a high-ranking police official was protecting them.

Local media suggested this could be national police agency commissioner general Min Gap-ryong, but police denied this.

The police officer under suspicion is a senior superintendent, police said after interrogating Seungri and Jung.


Kim Jae-heun jhkim@koreatimes.co.kr


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