[Source: Associated Press, Ahn Young Joon]
Recently, there has been a huge scandal going around in the Korean music industry. On March 12, Seungri a member of the influential Korean boy group, Big Bang, became a very hot topic to people all around the world. This member, Seungri, was accused of drug distributions, bringing prostitutes to VIP customers at his night club, and became the culprit of hiding cameras and taking unsolicited videos of women.
To add fuel to the flame, CUT Magazine states that Seungri was not the only one involved in this case. Jung Joon Young a Korean singer, Yong Jun-Hyung of the band Highlight, Lee Jonghyun of the rock band CNBLUE, and Choi Jong Hoon of F.T. Island have also confessed to have taken part in the scandal. In prosecuting these individuals, there was supposedly a group chat in which Jung Joon Young shared videos taken of women during sex without their consent.
[Source: Associated Press, Ahn Young Joon]
This scandal is known as the Burning Sun Scandal because of Seungri’s club named Burning Sun. Seungri claimed that he had very minimal involvement with the club, and he didn’t know about the prostitution crime going on. However, his text messages revealed otherwise. The messages showed Seungri planning to bribe foreign investors with prostitutes and the members included in the chat had a connection to the police and was able to keep their crimes undiscovered. An SBS broadcaster also stated that the text conversations between fellow convicts included inappropriate messages and profanity.
Since the scandal was released, Seungri has posted an official apology on his Instagram explaining his departure from show business. Also, the other artists have confessed their wrongdoings and some announced their departure from show business as well. No matter their apologies and actions, forgiveness is a long step away for all of those convicted.
This scandal has been a very hot topic in Korea, especially because the #MeToo Movement has gained significance in Korea. It also reveals that some celebrities put up a facade and they aren’t who they are when they are on shows or communicating through SNS (Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook). The Burning Sun scandal has become a factor that influenced many people to view their beloved celebrities in a different perspective.
For instance, Seungri was loved by many Big Bang fans as he appeared to have a good sense of humor, great work ethics, and a very lavish life. Unfortunately, he made imprudent actions and lost many of his fans with his two- faced personality.
This case has greatly impacted Korea’s image, as well as the music industry’s image. And, one can only hope that this scandal doesn’t tarnish the other celebrities who are not two faced and show very genuine reactions and manners.
This scandal shows the irony of celebrities more clearly. Seungri and the other celebrities involved rose up to be influential people to their fans and be a source of inspiration through their music. But instead, they ended up using their influence in negative ways disappointing their fans. It is so sad that such talented artists have chosen to take the wrong path with their fame. And this should show Korean society a different side to the corrupt Korean music industry.
Sharon Pak, Grade 11
Crescenta Valley High School
