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 show business 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.
File of Jung Joon-young performing. /VCG Photo
File of Jung Joon-young performing. /VCG Photo
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.
Seungri, a member of popular boy group BIGBANG, appears at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency on Feb. 27, 2019, for questioning. /VCG Photo
Seungri, a member of popular boy group BIGBANG, appears at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency on Feb. 27, 2019, for questioning. /VCG Photo
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.
The management agency YG Entertainment of BIGBANG announced on Wednesday that they have ended contract with Seungri. The company also apologized in the announcement for failing to properly manage the singer.
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.
Source(s): AFP