SEOUL: Finding himself at the centre of a snowballing sex scandal, Seungri, a member of K-pop sensation Big Bang, took to his Instagram page…
SEOUL: Finding himself at the centre of a snowballing sex scandal, Seungri, a member of K-pop sensation Big Bang, took to his Instagram page to do what celebrities typically do when under fire for wrongdoings: Apologise and pledge to reflect.
But, in his statement, Seungri went further than the usual expressions of contrition and promises to work harder and be better. He, at all of 29-years-old, said that he would immediately retire from show business, leaving his group and permanently ceasing all entertainment activities. The “honour” of his band and management company were in danger, Seungri wrote, and he saw no way of continuing his career.
Seungri is reeling from allegations that he had arranged prostitution for prospective investors in a nightclub and that he was part of a group chat where members shared sexual videos taken without the consent of the women who appeared in them.
Though he has yet to be formally charged, Seungri is not denying the charges against him. He is the best-known of several male entertainers currently being questioned in similar scandals.
FALL FROM GRACE
Regardless of how the police investigation and subsequent legal process play out, it is a precipitous fall from grace for Seungri, who has had a more-than-decade-long run as part of BIGBANG, one of the brightest lights that turned K-pop into the global phenomenon and commercial force it is today.
The scandal has been front and centre all over the South Korean news over the week, far outstripping the latest North Korea-related rumblings in terms of public interest, and has been met with strong emotions.
To start with, K-pop has long been characterised by an uncomfortable duality: The acts are marketed domestically and overseas as wholesome and pure fresh-faced kids who practise hard to do their best at entertaining and setting a positive example for young fans.
