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BBC documentary titled Exposing the Secret K-pop Chat Groups has brought back the Burning Sun scandal into the spotlight. The documentary was released on May 19, 2024. The story initially erupted in 2019 and involved former BIGBANG member and K-pop idol Seungri.
Several wealthy and powerful South Korean males were implicated in the scandal, which entailed the s*xual assault of many women and the unlawful dissemination of video footage (molka) recording the assault.
The video footages were shared on the infamous KakaoTalk group "Jung Joon-young KakaoTalk chatrooms". The chatroom included rock singer Jung Joon-young, guitarist Choi Jung-hoon, Lee Cheol-woo, Seungri, and former HIGHLIGHT member Yong Jun-hyung, among other K-pop celebrities and actors. The scandal earned the title from the club's original name.
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Seungri's club was opened in February 2018 at the Le Méridien Seoul Hotel in Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam. It was the most prominent in South Korea and the largest one in Seoul. At present, with dust and garbage strewn everywhere, it's now a barren landscape.
Disclaimer: The following article contains mentions of s*xual assault and suicide. Reader’s discretion is advised.
BBC investigative team unearths the horrific truth behind the Burning Sun incident in 2024 documentary
The documentary titled Exposing the Secret K-pop Chat Groups was released by BBC Eye, an investigative division of BBC World Service. The Burning Sun Club was situated within Gangnam's Le Méridien hotel and operated from 2018 to 2019 before the scandal hit the news waves worldwide.
As one of the most affluent party establishments in South Korea, the club's entrance had its name displayed on a bright red neon sign that led below through a distinctive arch, lighted by yellow lights.
An excerpt from the 2024 BBC documentary showed a subterranean chamber beneath the Burning Sun Club. Even when the club operated in 2018-2019, several areas indoors were inaccessible to the general guests. BBC reported that VIPs would pay up to $75,000 to reserve a seat or room in those exclusive parts of the nightclub.
The expensive package reportedly included perks where wealthy guests could request women (hostesses) to join them in the rooms and also perform for them, among others. Additionally, BBC reported that to guarantee that VIPs could do as they pleased, there was a concealed chamber even farther into the club, which used to be heavily guarded.
Reportedly, women would be seized against their will and administered date r*pe drugs in these rooms. In conclusion, the BBC documentary also included footage from the "Red Bathroom." While the club was still open, footage of intoxicated women being s*xually assaulted became viral on adult websites.
Furthermore, some of the popular adult website searches included keywords like "Burning Sun VIP," "Burning Sun Room Bathroom," "Burning Sun Club VIP."
The Burning Sun nightclub had 60 VIP tables close to the DJ, a second level dedicated to hip-hop, and a subterranean level dedicated to EDM. It could host around 1,000 guests at once and was the largest nightclub establishment in 2018-2019. Seungri was the co-owner of the club with 8% shares while the majority shareholder was Cheonwon industry.
Despite harsh criticism from the celebrities' followers, journalists Park Hyo-sil and Kang Kyung-yoon boldly reported the issue in the latest BBC documentary. They mentioned being inundated with internet hate and threats of murder in the documentary. Nonetheless, several victims of the Burning Sun came forward and filed charges against these celebrities owing to the coverage by the two journalists.
Some never-before-seen information about the inquiry and its aftermath was uncovered via this documentary. It showed KakaoTalk chats from the chatroom where Seungri reportedly engaged in the conversations stating to get women "that give it good" and another member "K" arranging for pr*stitutes for the VIPs.
Further chats revealed the management looking for women under the influence of alcohol and CCTV video footage showed these women being dragged by guards into the dimly lit secret chambers inside the club.
Seungri was subsequently charged with several offenses, which included obtaining pr*stitutes for himself and others, disseminating images and videos obtained unlawfully, embezzlement, gambling, and illicit cash transactions. He was given an 18-month jail term in August 2021 and freed in 2023.
Jung Joon-young (who set up the chatroom) was charged with gang r*pe, the distribution of illicit pictures and videos of women (molka), and recording explicit videos of the assault of unconscious victims. Some of which were dated back to 2015. Korea JoongAng Daily reported that he was sentenced to five years of imprisonment from March 2019 to March 2024.
