Disgraced K-pop star Seungri admits guilt, sees jail term halved on appeal for his part in Burning Sun prostitution and embezzlement scandal
- The former BigBang star, jailed for three years for charges including facilitating prostitution and embezzlement, acknowledged his guilt to an appeal court
- The 31-year-old, who had denied eight of nine charges, saw his prison sentence for the crimes linked to the Burning Sun nightclub scandal reduced to 18 months
An appeal court in South Korea has halved the prison sentence of former pop star Seungri after he acknowledged he was guilty of crimes including facilitating prostitution and embezzlement, to which he had pleaded not guilty at his earlier trial.
In July, military court prosecutors reportedly declared the star had “shown no remorse and shifted blame to other people despite enjoying large benefits from his crimes”.
Born Lee Seung-hyun, Seungri, 31, pleaded guilty to only one of the nine charges he faced at trial in a lower court in August – violating foreign exchange policies related to overseas gambling.
On January 27 the South Korean High Court for Armed Forces announced his jail term would be reduced to 18 months.
Seungri’s prosecution and conviction last year followed a series of high-profile investigations into entertainment and business industry insiders for crimes including fraud and sexual assault, many of them linked to the Burning Sun nightclub in Seoul, the South Korean capital.
His trial and appeal took place in military courts because he enlisted in South Korea’s military to perform national service – compulsory for men in the country – while under investigation.
