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On April 3, 2025, Ilgan Sports reported that former BIGBANG member Seungri publicly addressed and denied recent rumors suggesting he plans to leave South Korea to establish new business ventures abroad.
In his first media interview since completing his prison sentence, he clarified his current activities and future intentions, emphasizing that reports of him opening nightclubs in countries like Cambodia and Hong Kong were unfounded.
Ilgan Sports (Daily Sports) reported that on April 2, he flew to China to reportedly see potential business options, as claimed by some eyewitnesses. However, Seungri contacted the news publication himself and expressed his wish to rectify certain parts of the news that have been circulating online. He said,
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“I want to correct the parts that are not true. First of all, it is not true that I am leaving Korea. I currently reside in Korea, and most of my overseas schedules are invitations to acquaintances’ weddings or for personal relaxation. Other than that, I do not have any business meetings or plans.”
Following his discharge from Yeoju Prison on February 9, 2023, where he served an 18-month sentence on charges of soliciting prostitution and embezzlement, Seungri has been living quietly. He said that he had largely been with family and traveling overseas, but had insisted that his travels were private and not for business.
He continued:
“It’s all rumors and gossip. Because I have many acquaintances overseas, people seem to assume I’m planning something abroad, but that’s not true—I have no business plans. My recent visit to China wasn’t to attend a club event or to start something there. I went solely to attend a friend’s wedding. I have no intention of starting anything again.”
Ex-convict Seungri and his dark past with the Burning Sun: A brief look
In late 2018, Seungri's nightclub, the Burning Sun, in Gangnam, Seoul, was investigated for claims of s*xual assault, illegal filming and sharing of explicit content, prostitution, embezzlement, and police corruption.
The whole thing started with an alleged assault on November 24, 2018. A man named Kim Sang-kyo claimed he was attacked by club staff after he tried to help a woman who was being harassed. This incident led to deeper digs into the club's activities, showing some serious issues and connecting various celebrities to the mess.
According to the BBC documentary, Seungri was convicted for arranging prostitution for investors, stealing around 528 million won ($361,733.17) from the club, gambling heavily in Vegas, and using gang members to threaten people. He got a three-year prison sentence and was fined 1.15 billion won (around $787,866). He was taken into custody right after the verdict.
Singer Jung Joon-young was found guilty of aggravated r*pe and illegally filming of unconscious female victims and sharing explicit videos without consent. In November 2019, he was sentenced to six years in prison, but this was later cut down to five years on appeal.
He was also told to take 80 hours of sexual violence education and was released in 2024. Jung Joon-young operated a KakaoTalk chatroom where he would post the s*xual assault videos. The group included Seungri, former FTISLAND member Choi Jong-hoon, HIGHLIGHT's Yong Jun-young, and more.
Choi Jong-hoon got sentenced with Jung Joon-young for aggravated r*pe and illegal filming. He originally faced five years in prison in November 2019, but after an appeal, it was cut down to two and a half years. Choi was released in November 2021 after serving his time.
Kwon Hyuk-jun, Yuri from Girls' Generation's older brother, was also involved in the scandal for illegal filming and sharing explicit content, resulting in a four-year sentence.
Yoo In-suk, the ex-CEO of Yuri Holdings and husband to actress Park Han-byul, was tied to Seungri. He dealt with charges for embezzlement and prostitution-related offenses. He was also a co-owner of the Burning Sun. In June 2020, he admitted to his wrongdoings and received a sentence of one year and eight months in prison.
A marketing director at Burning Sun, called Kim, was convicted in connection with the scandal. He started with a five-year sentence, but it got reduced to four years after reaching a deal with the victim.
The Korea Herald reported in 2024 that Seungri was supposed to participate in an event, "Burning Sun," in Surabaya, Indonesia, organized by TSV Management. The promotional materials included an image of Seungri. But he denied knowing the location or the event.
He was also seen partying in a club in Cambodia and mentioned the name of a former band member, G-Dragon. Later, he explained he "got carried away in the moment" and did not mean to associate G-Dragon's name with the situation.
