How the Seungri and Jung Joon-young K-pop sex scandal exposes South Korea’s culture of toxic masculinity
- Charges of sexual abuse and illegally recording sexual activities could cost a number of stars their careers, but this behaviour is all too common
- The country’s #MeToo movement saw tens of thousands of women protest hidden-camera sex crimes last year – will the latest outrage mean real change?
Jung is seen to be the ringleader of the ongoing spycam porn sex-crime scandal, with Seungri of Big Bang, Lee Jong-hyun of Korean boy band CNBlue, Choi Jong-hoon of FT Island and Yong Jun-hyung of K-pop outfit Highlight also implicated. The men were participants in a chat group where non-consensually filmed videos of Jung engaging in sexual encounters with female victims were shared.
Meanwhile, a Seoul policeman has been accused of taking bribes from Seungri, who is currently under investigation for sex abuse, sex trafficking and drugging female customers at his former nightclub Burning Sun.
Local and international K-pop fans have been shocked as the controversy continues to unfold. But for others, these abuses are not a total surprise. They are just shining the spotlight on a wider issue South Korean society has grappled with: toxic masculinity.
Over the past year, high-profile men have been publicly accused of misogyny and sexual violence as part of the #MeToo movement, while tens of thousands of women have taken to the streets in organised protests to denounce hidden-camera sex crimes.