Burning Sun - Fans show support for BIGBANG's Seungri amid BCC documentary, shift blame to HYBE for media play

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

A scandal that rocked not just the world of K-pop but also the music industry in 2019 was the "Burning Sun" scandal, involving several well-known Korean celebrities, namely singer Jung Joon-young, former FT Island guitarist Choi Jong-hoon, and BIGBANG member Seungri, along with many police officers, in numerous sexual offences.

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Now, the BBC has released an hour-long documentary describing the harrowing journey of two female Korean journalists who exposed the sex scandal. The documentary reveals conversations from a KakaoTalk group chat that Jung set up, exposing incidents of rape and sexual assault dating back to 2015.

However, amidst all the video and text message footage from the BBC documentary, BIGBANG's Seungri seems to have strong fan support. What's even more shocking is that these fans are blaming HYBE for media play.

Why is HYBE being brought up in the "Burning Sun" scandal?

According to Seungri fans, this documentary was released now, after years of the case, to divert attention from the ongoing court trial between HYBE and ADOR CEO Min Hee Jin. While Min Hee Jin has held press conferences and released statements on her stance, she has not provided proof of the accusations regarding chart manipulation and alleged exploitation and mistreatment towards NewJeans. 

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As for HYBE, they have not remained silent, but have responded and spoken about various issues in court. Both parties are awaiting the court verdict, and amidst all that, the release of this documentary has led Seungri fans to believe that HYBE is trying to divert people's attention from the actual events happening in South Korea.

However, there are various K-pop fans and even some BIGBANG fans who have taken to X (formerly known as Twitter) to shut down the support Seungri is receiving, especially with the majority of the fandoms of various groups being women. They have stated that these fans have no care for the victims who had to undergo such horrifying events in their lives.

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.