South Korea: five years in prison for fallen K-pop star Seungri

 Eva Deschamps / July 1, 2021

A military court has ordered a five-year prison sentence for former K-pop star Seungri in a sex scandal involving prostitution, South Korean media reported Thursday.

The 30-year-old singer of the boy band BIGBANG has been indicted for providing prostitutes, embezzlement and illegal gambling.

Enlisted in the army as a conscript since last year, the hearing took place before a military court. Every able-bodied South Korean must serve for 18 months before the age of 30, in a country facing the North Korean threat.

Prosecutors at the military court on Thursday demanded a five-year prison sentence and a fine of 20 million won against him.

The accused is the one who benefited the most from this crime, he blames others, that's why a severe sentence is necessary, said representatives of the prosecution, according to media.

BIGBANG was one of the most popular boy bands in South Korea.

Seungri went on to become a wealthy and successful businessman, but the scandal he was involved in led him to retire from the entertainment business in 2019.

Seungri, whose real name is Lee Seung-hyun, is accused of illegal gambling transactions at luxury casinos in Las Vegas.

He is also suspected of using prostitutes for people willing to invest in his company.

The scandal also involved other musicians and members of YG Entertainment, one of South Korea's largest producers.

This led to the resignation last year of its CEO, Yang Hyun-suk, who is himself under investigation for illegal betting.