Burning Sun - BBC's documentary reveals BIGBANG's Seungri, Jung Joon-young and Choi Jong-hoon's never-seen-before chats

This article contains descriptions of sexual assault that may be disturbing to some readers. Reader discretion is advised.

In 2019, the Burning Sun scandal rocked the K-pop industry by uncovering sexual offences involving several well-known Korean celebrities as well as police officers. The participation of some of the biggest names in the business, such as rock singer Jung Joon-young, former FT Island guitarist Choi Jong-hoon, and BIGBANG member Seungri, astounded K-Pop fans worldwide.

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A recent documentary from BBC World Service's investigative section "BBC Eye," titled "Burning Sun," describes the harrowing journey of two female Korean journalists who exposed the sex scandal. Through the experiences of two reporters living in Seoul, Park Hyo Sil and Kang Kyung Yoon, whose unwavering investigative work exposed unsettling realities at great personal cost.

The documentary begins in 2016 when Park Hyo Sil first reported on claims made by Jung Joon Young's girlfriend that he had secretly recorded their private moments. Even after the charges were dropped, Park was demonized by the public and media, which resulted in intense internet harassment and personal anguish, including two miscarriages.

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The BBC highlighted the resurfaced controversy in 2019 when SBS reporter Kang Kyung Yoon obtained fresh information that had been leaked from Jung's phone. Intimate chats and films featuring Jung and other K-Pop celebrities were found in the phone data. 

Conversations from a KakaoTalk group chat that Jung set up revealed incidents of rape and sexual assault that occurred as long ago as 2015. One such discussion described how Jung, Choi, and other members of the group drugged and gang-raped a fan, hinting at protection from a high-ranking police official.

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In March 2019, Jung issued a letter of apology confessing to illegal hidden camera filming and announcing his retirement from the entertainment industry. Seungri was also implicated in the chat room conversations, charged with sexual bribery and later with distributing secretly obtained photographs. By January 2020, Seungri faced seven charges including procuring prostitution, embezzlement, and illegal currency transactions.

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"Burning Sun" can be seen globally on the BBC World Service YouTube channel and BBC iPlayer in the UK. A Korean version of the video can be found on the BBC News Korean YouTube page. In June 2024, it will debut as a series on the BBC News TV channel.