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A new BBC documentary, which reexamines the Burning Sun Gate scandal, has sparked outrage throughout the world. The BBC released an hour-long documentary via its investigative team on May 19, 2024.
It gives an account of the network of celebrities involved in sexual assault and women's exploitation, allegedly led by the former BIGBANG member Seungri in 2018-2019. The incident led Seungri to face an 18-month sentence along with others involved.
Actor Lee Cheol-woo was also reportedly connected to the incident. His friendship with popular K-drama Lovely Runner actor Byeon Woo-seok has now attracted a slew of comments from netizens online.
Several fans of Lovely Runner were horrified to learn that one of the accused in the Burning Sun Gate scandal was a cast member of the show.
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DISCLAIMER: This article may contain mention of sexual assault and suicide. Readers' discretion is advised.
Lee Cheol-woo issues a statement and reiterates his innocence amid resurfacing of the Burning Sun Gate scandal
On May 20, 2024, netizens were alarmed when they saw photos of Lee Cheol-woo hanging around and having meals together with Byeon Woo-seok. Due to the former's link in the Burning Sun Gate controversy, several fans urged the other Lovely Runner stars to stay away from him.
Lee Cheol-woo played the senior swim team member Hyung-gu in Byeon Woo-seok's K-drama Lovely Runner.
On May 20, 2024, a day after the release of BBC's documentary titled Burning Sun: Exposing the secret K-pop chat groups - BBC World Service Documentaries, Lee Cheol-woo issued a statement through an Instagram post. He wrote that he was never a part of the infamous chatroom from the scandal, but that he was a part of a program group where schedules and content were shared.
"Good afternoon. This is Lee Cheol-woo. As stated through the company at the time, I repeat that I was not included in that conversation room. Due to an unfortunate incident, the conversation room I'm referring to was a 'program conversation room' to share the schedule and content needed for filming during the 2016 jtbc entertainment 'Hitmaker'." (as auto-translated by Instagram)
Lee Cheol-woo added that his family and his friends have suffered a lot due to the "false truths," and requested people to refrain from further speculation.
"The only thing that I didn't share about the program and private stories, so the conversation room disappeared after the program ended. Not only myself but my family and acquaintances have suffered from the false truths and evil that have been going on for years. We kindly ask you to stop indiscriminate repression and speculation, and we will strongly respond to malicious comments and spread false facts afterward."
Despite being linked to Burning Sun, Lee Cheol-woo returned to the entertainment industry relatively quickly. His role in the incident didn't attract a lot of attention because of his relatively smaller profile in 2019 as compared to other chatroom members.
Lee's latest part was in the tvN popular time-slip drama Lovely Runner starring Byeon Woo-seok from Soulmate and Kim Hye-yoon from Sky Castle.
A look back at Lee Cheol-woo's association with the Burning Sun case
In 2019, a forensic investigation proved Lee Cheol-woo's involvement in the Jung Joon-young chatroom on Kakaotalk.
The Burning Sun scandal saw popular celebrities like Seungri, Jong Joon-young, Yong Jun-hyung (ex-HIGHLIGHT member) being accused of sharing illegally filmed pornographic videos, clips of sexual assault, and more.
The incident brought to light instances of how women were drugged, sexually assaulted, and illegally filmed in the secret rooms inside the Burning Sun nightclub. The club was co-owned by former BIGBANG member Seungri.
Seungri was charged with illegally supplying prostitutes, embezzlement, drugs, inciting violence, and sharing illicit videos. He was sentenced to 18 months of imprisonment.
Jong Joon-young and Choi Jong-hoon were accused of the same, along with gang rape and illegally filming the female victims. Jong Joon-young was sentenced to a five-year jail term and Choi Jong-hoon with a two-and-a-half-year term.
Other chatroom members such as Lee Cheol-woo, Yong Jun-hyung, Eddy Kim, Roy Kim, Kang In, and more were investigated and sent for prosecution. Maeil Business reported that the agency stated in 2019 that Lee Cheol-woo was part of the chatroom before the Burning Sun crime happened.
Lee Cheol-woo admitted to watching incriminating illicit videos that were shared in the group, and his indictment was dismissed later on as more evidence couldn't be found.
Lee Cheol-woo and a few other male celebrities such as Jung Jong-young, Yong Jun-hyung, Roy Kim, Eddy Kim, Seungri and Choi Jong-hoon were among the people in the incriminating chatroom (Jung Jong-young Chatrooms). That was where illegal footage of date rapes, illicit pictures of women, and sexual assault videos were shared.
Lee Cheol-woo was cast in high-profile films including Hush (2020), Love Is For Suckers (2022), and the Netflix Korean series Bloodhounds (2023).
