20:31, 21-Mar-2019
K-pop stars in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons
By Shane Hahm
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It all began with a physical skirmish in front of a posh nightclub in Seoul’s affluent Gangnam district last February.
Police arrived to investigate an altercation between club security and a patron.
The incident has now blown up into a full-fledged scandal. At risk is a permanent blemish on K-pop's clean-cut image.
In the center of the growing scandal is Lee Seung-hyun, better known by his stage name Seungri of the mega-hit boyband quintet BIGBANG.
Singer Jung Joon-young is accused of recording and sharing videos of himself having sex with women without their consent on March 14, 2019. /Reuters Photo
It was no secret that Seungri had links to the Burning Sun nightclub as one of its operating partners.
"I'm sorry to everyone who has been hurt. I will face the investigation and answer questions truthfully," said Seungri as he entered the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency recently for interrogation.
So, when rumors of widespread drug use and illicit sex at the club began to surface, investigators searched for proof to substantiate the claims. What they uncovered was a treasure trove of evidence.
At the heart of the investigation is a private group chat room where celebrity members exchanged brash comments and secretly-recorded videos about their sexual conquests.
Now, instead of facing flashes on the red carpet, cameras focus on suspected stars responding to a police summons.
Seungri, formerly of K-pop boyband BigBang, arrives for police questioning in central Seoul on March 14, 2019. /Reuters Photo
Police are also focusing on allegations of widespread use of the date rape drug GHB at the Burning Sun nightclub and bad cops turning a blind eye to these suspicions.
The scandal has all the makings of a Korean soap opera — allegations of sex, drugs and corrupt law enforcement officials.
Even the country's president has weighed in on the scandal.
"There can be similar illegal acts and corrupt relations with authoritative agencies at similar entertainment facilities. So, there needs to be close investigations and inquiries into this," said South Korean President Moon Jae-in at a recent meeting with top officials.
Celebrities are often given high-level status in South Korea. Those that make it to the big stage are rewarded for the years of training and hard work being nurtured and groomed into fine-tuned entertainers.
But with the high pedestal and respect comes responsibility. And sometimes, that authority and stature lead to reckless behavior.
That's why many are putting the blame on the talent agencies that manage these stars.
"Entertainment agencies may have gone a bit too far in their practices as they stepped onto the global stage. Certain companies may have had their finger in too many pies and, in the process, mismanaged affairs," said pop culture critic Kim Hern-sik.
Whether record labels were culpable or complicit in the scandal will be settled through the legal system.
As the scandal snowballs, this could be the last act for some K-pop entertainers.
(Head Image: Members of South Korean K-Pop band BIGBANG pose backstage after winning the Artist of the Year award at the 2015 Mnet Asian Music Awards [MAMA] in Hong Kong, China on December 3, 2015. /Reuters Photo)