BIGBANG's top scandals: Burning Sun, drug abuse, and more
BIGBANG debuted in 2006 with five members under YG Entertainment. However, only four members make up the group today as one had to leave because of the scandal that surrounded him.
BIGBANG saw a meteoric rise and unimaginable success in South Korea after their launch and were a national sensation, with boys and girls alike enjoying their music. However, their fall was just as mighty too.
They have produced brilliant songs enjoyed by many, some classics that continue to be sung and appreciated even today. However, the bad boy image that was supposed to be just a concept for BIGBANG turned into a scary reality when their scandals came to light.
BIGBANG's bad boy image following them in real life: Top scandals from the group
1) Taeyang
Taeyang is the only member who has not been involved in a scandal. The biggest headline of his life was probably when his marriage to his now wife Min Hyo-Rin was announced.
It became a huge issue in South Korea as popular idols being in relationships was a huge taboo back in the day. The situation has changed now, with many idols being able to get married and have kids, but there is still a stigma attached to it, unfortunately.
2) Seungri
Seungri, the youngest member of BIGBANG, withdrew from the group due to his involvement in the Burning Sun scandal, a club where he was one of the directors. This particular scandal revealed a deep-rooted nexus of pr*stitution and s*x trafficking that happens using clubs as a front.
A s*xual harassment claim led to the uncovering of a huge racket of r*pe, use of date r*pe drugs, pr*stitution, s*xual assault, and much more that happened behind the scenes at the Burning Sun club.
Leaked chat logs revealed Seungri's involvement in soliciting and hiring pr*stitues. He was part of a group chat where another incriminated and now jailed participant Jung Joon-Young sent illegally filmed videos of r*ping drugged women.
During the investigation process, Seungri enlisted in the South Korean military, making this a military case. He was convicted on multiple charges including embezzlement of funds, gambling, and arranging sexual services via pr*stitues to business investors in foreign countries.
He was sentenced to three years in jail, which has now been reduced to 18 months after an appeal.
Seungri has also been involved in a one-night stand scandal, the news of which was broken by a gossip magazine. Pictures of him in bed were released by the woman who stated that he choked her during s*x. Seungri revealed he knew about the news but could not do anything to stop it.
3) G-Dragon
G-Dragon was caught smoking marijuana in Japan in 2011. Marijuana is illegal in South Korea and hence this snowballed into a huge scandal throughout the nation. His urine test was negative, but his hair test showed some presence of marijuana.
G-Dragon admitted to having smoked marijuana, however, he claimed he did not know it was marijuana and in his drunken state mistook it for normal cigarettes.
The K-pop star was also embroiled in a military scandal where news outlet Dispatch accused him of getting preferential treatment during the course of his service. Despite the proof, these claims were put to bed by the officials.
He was also accused of delaying his enlistment, however, South Korean law did allow people pursuing higher education the ability to delay their enlistment for a limited period.
4) Daesung
Daesung was involved in a car accident when he hit a person named Mr. Hyun, who was lying on the ground injured in a previous accident, with his car. Daesung's car also hit a taxi whose driver had parked the car to help Mr. Hyun.
Mr. Hyun passed away due to his injuries and this led to a series of investigations against Daesung. The National Forensic Service concluded that the duration between both the accidents was barely minutes, making it unlikely for Mr. Hyun to have died before the second hit.
However, as the prosecution could not prove that Mr. Hyun passed away due to the second hit and not the first, Daesung was cleared of all charges based off this technicality. Due to this, he was also on hiatus from BIGBANG.
5) T.O.P
While serving in the military, T.O.P was accused of having smoked marijuana. He initially denied the accusations, however, he later admitted to all charges. It was also revealed that he has smoked the drug on multiple occasions, especially with another marijuana user and his then girlfriend, Han Soe-Hee.
While investigations into the case were ongoing, he was rushed to the hospital for having overdosed. It was revealed that he was a regular user of sedatives but took more than the prescribed amount on that day.
After getting discharged from the hospital, he admitted to all four charges of drug use and was given a two-year probationary sentence. He apologized for his actions and vowed self-reflection, taking a hiatus from BIGBANG.
BIGBANG recently made a comeback as a four-member group with their song Still Life. Despite their image, the song is doing well domestically.
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