Convicted of brokering prostitution, Seungri, ex-BIGBANG, leaves prison

Convicted of the nine charges he was facing, including mediation of prostitution, involvement in sexual violence, economic crimes and participation in illegal gambling, Seungri — stage name of Lee Seung-hyeon — was released from prison this Thursday, according to the Ministry of Justice of the South Korea.

The 32-year-old former idol became famous in K-pop for being a member of the group BIGBANG. His sentence had been set at 1 year and 6 months.

Initially, Seungri denied the accusations, except the violation of the Foreign Exchange Transactions Law, but in the course of the case he ended up admitting the others and “assumed a posture of reflection”.

The ‘Burning Sun’ Scandal

The singer left the group Big Bang on March 11, 2019 and announced his retirement from the entertainment industry, a day after the Burning Sun scandal, which was named after the nightclub where prostitution services were offered to foreign investors between September 2015 and January 2016.

According to the investigation, funds from the venture were taken for personal use and casinos.

The former idol was judged by the military court for having joined the country’s mandatory service shortly after the scandal broke.