SEOUL: South Korea police are due to question two K-pop stars on Thursday over allegations of sex tapes, secret chat about rape, and deals facilitated by prostitutes, in a sex scandal that has rocked South Korea’s music world and hit entertainment stocks.
The allegations against the boyish stars who epitomize an industry that has put South Korean pop culture on the global stage has triggered a blame game with accusations the business has neglected young stars’ morality in the lust for fame and fortune.
Singer Lee Seung-hyun, better known by the stage name Seungri, said on Monday he was leaving the entertainment industry to fight accusations he paid for prostitutes for foreign businessmen to drum up investment in his business.
Police have said the 28-year-old singer is suspected of what is known as “sexual bribery”. Lee, a member of the group BIGBANG and nicknamed South Korea’s “Great Gatsby” for his lavish lifestyle, denies any wrongdoing.
“Seungri has never provided prostitutes,” his lawyer, Son Byoung-ho, said. Lee is due to appear at a Seoul police station on Thursday for questioning. Another singer and television celebrity, Jung Joon-young, is also in trouble.
Jung admitted on Wednesday to having shared videos he secretly took while having sex with women. Police are investigating. Jung’s agency, MAKEUS Entertainment, has terminated his contract and he has been barred from leaving the country while police question him over suspicion he distributed the videos.
Lawyers for Jung could not be reached for comment. Lee and Jung were both members of online chat groups where secret sex tapes were shared, and men joked about drugging and raping women, according to the broadcaster SBS. K-pop had largely escaped scandals as South Korea’s anti-sexual harassment #MeToo movement ensnared political, sports, and other figures.
(Agencies)
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