K-Pop stars in South Korea face major scandal involving crimes such as drugging, raping, and humiliating women, and sharing the videos.
Secret messages leaked exposing their crimes.
Key Figures
Journalists
Kang Kyung-yoon: Entertainment journalist who exposed the scandal. Believes the entertainment industry reflects societal issues like money, power, and sex.
Park Hyo-sil: First journalist to report Jung's sexual offense in 2016.
K-Pop Stars
Jung Joon-young: Secretly filmed women (Molka crimes). Popular singer-songwriter.
Choi Jong-hoon: Member of FT Island, involved in the crimes, submissive to Seungri.
Seungri: Member of Big Bang, threw extravagant parties and used women to gain investment.
Crimes Committed
Molka: Illegally filmed footage of unaware women in humiliating situations.
Sexual Assault: Multiple cases including gang rape and drugging women to incapacitate them.
Police Collusion: Evidence suggesting high-level police cover-ups and protection.
Initial Events
September 23, 2016: Jung accused of secretly filming his girlfriend.
Jung refused to hand over his phone to the police and managed to avoid immediate consequences due to rushed and corrupted investigation.
Leaked messages from KakaoTalk chat reveal extensive crimes.
Chatroom Revelations
Crimes Documented: Chats reveal various video evidence of sexual crimes and involvement of famous K-Pop stars.
Jung’s Influence: Encouraged criminal acts among his group.
Seungri's Ambition: Used parties and women to secure investments for his business ventures such as the club Burning Sun.
Burning Sun & Gangnam Nightlife
Burning Sun: Prestigious night club in Seoul, connected to drugging and assaulting women.
VIP Abuses: Reports of women being drugged with GHB and taken to secret rooms for assault.
Management and Police Protection: Police allegedly received cash to cover up incidents.
Women's Testimonies
Victims express their harrowing experiences of being drugged, assaulted, and humiliated.
Example: A woman at Burning Sun finds herself in a hotel room, assaulted and forced to take a photo to silence her.
Legal and Social Repercussions
Legal Actions
Park & Kang's Reporting: Persistence despite personal attacks, led to eventual convictions.
Seungri's Empire's Fall: Burning Sun closed after public backlash.
Court Cases and Sentences: Jung sentenced to 6 years, Choi to 2.5 years. Police officer Yoon acquitted.
Gender Politics in Korea
Women’s Protests: Demanding police to protect them more and take accusations seriously.
Men's Backlash: Some men see feminist movements as targeting them unfairly.
Journalists' Struggle: Kang and other female journalists face intense trolling and harassment.
Notable Assistance and Tragedies
Hara’s Assistance: K-Pop star Hara helps Kang uncover police collusion, later struggles with her own battles against revenge porn and commits suicide.
Impact of Hara & Sulli’s Deaths: Highlighting mental health and societal pressures in the K-Pop industry.
Ongoing Issues
Gangnam Nightlife: Despite the scandal, reports indicate similar abuses continue.
Public Sentiment: Mixed reactions from the public, some supporting the journalists, others attacking them.
Conclusion
The scandal reflects deeper societal issues related to power, sexism, and the entertainment industry.
Efforts to expose and address these issues remain difficult and controversial, with incremental progress seen as throwing “a single pebble” into a vast pond.