ZCZC
BFF-07
SKOREA-SOCIAL-MUSIC
Second S. Korean star quits as K-pop sex scandal spreads
SEOUL, March 13, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – A burgeoning K-pop sex scandal claimed a second
scalp as a singer who rose to fame after coming second in one of South Korea’s top
talent shows admitted secretly filming himself having sex and sharing the footage.
Jung Joon-young, 30, announced his immediate retirement from showbusiness amid
allegations he shot and shared sexual imagery without his partners’ consent.
“I admit to all my crimes,” he said.
“I filmed women without their consent and shared it in a chatroom, and while I was
doing so I didn’t feel a great sense of guilt,” he added in a statement released late
Tuesday.
Jung was one of three male artists in a group chat room where some members shared
secretly filmed footage of a sexual nature of at least 10 women, according to local
broadcaster SBS.
K-pop singer Seungri, a hugely successful member of boy band BIGBANG who announced
his retirement from show business on Monday amid a sex-for-investment criminal
investigation, was also a member of the chatroom, the broadcaster said.
K-pop stars generally cultivate clean-cut images — and are actively promoted by the
South Korean government as a key cultural export — making the scandal even more
shocking.
In 2016, Jung was charged with filming a video with a sexual partner without her
consent and knowledge, but prosecutors dropped the case for lack of evidence after she
withdrew her accusation.
Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency will question him later this week, an officer told
AFP.
Seungri — who has multiple business interests — was interviewed at the weekend
over accusations he lobbied potential investors by offering them the services of
prostitutes at nightclubs in Seoul’s posh Gangnam district.
The 29-year-old is also linked to a police investigation into Burning Sun, a
nightclub where he was a public relations director, where staff are alleged to have
used hidden cameras to film women and used alcohol and drugs to sexually assault them.
South Korea has been battling a growing epidemic of so-called “molka” — spycam
videos which largely involve men secretly filming women and sharing the illicit
content with others.
“This case just shows that male K-pop stars are no exception when it comes to being
part of this very disturbing reality that exploits women,” women’s rights activist Bae
Bok-ju told AFP.
BSS/AFP/AU/07:55 hrs