Uncovering the Corruption: Burning Sun Documentary Exposes Dark Side of K-pop World
Power in the K-pop world can corrupt, as seen in the 2024 BBC Eye documentary — Burning Sun: Exposing the Secret K-pop Chat Group — which delves into the 2019 sex and drug scandal involving prominent K-pop idols, including Seungri, a former member of the K-pop boy band BIGBANG.
The documentary, released on 19 May 2024, has already garnered over 1.6 million views on YouTube, just two days after its release, showcasing the widespread attention it has received.
Burning Sun: Exposing the Secret K-pop Chat Group brings together the first-person narratives of Park Hyo-sil and Kang Kyung-yoon, two Korean reporters who investigated and exposed the sexual assault committed by Seungri and his friends, as well as the illicit activities associated with Seoul’s VIP nightclub Burning Sun.
The scandal began in 2016 when Park Hyo-sil first reported on K-pop singer Jung Joon-young’s secret recording of his girlfriend during sex. The investigation escalated in 2019 when Kang Kyung-yoon uncovered a secret K-pop chat group involving Jung, Seungri, and Choi Jong-hoon, where they were involved in drugging and sexually assaulting females at Burning Sun.
The documentary also reveals disturbing exchanges between the K-pop idols, detailing the gang rape of an unconscious woman. It further exposes the protection these idols received from a senior police official, Yoon Gyu-geun.
Following the investigation, Jung, Choi, and Seungri faced legal consequences, with Jung and Choi receiving prison sentences for their involvement in the gang rape. Seungri was convicted of multiple charges, including sexual bribery, gambling, and embezzlement.
The documentary also sheds light on the challenges faced by the journalists, Park and Kang, who received death threats and harassment from fans of the convicted K-pop idols. Park suffered two miscarriages due to the stress, while Kang endured a three-year harassment campaign.
Despite the challenges, the journalists stand by their decision to expose the truth. Burning Sun: Exposing the Secret K-pop Chat Group is available for viewing on the BBC World Service YouTube channel, offering an in-depth look at the dark side of the K-pop industry.
