The third hearing on eight charges against former BIGBANG member Seungri, including prostitution mediation, was held on November 19 in the general military court in Yongin. During the hearing, Seungri's friend who was also employee at Burning Sun club said that Seungri was not involved in prostitution mediation.
Attending the hearing, Kim said that he acted on the instructions of Yoo In Suk, former CEO of Yuri Holdings and said that he was not given any tasks by Seungri. Further he also said that he had visited Seungri's home in 2015 and saw Yoo In Suk engaged in sexual intercourse with a woman. But he said that he had never seen Seungri in a compromising position with any women or illegally filming footage.
Kim And Seungri's Friendship
Explaining his friendship with Seungri, Kim said that his childhood friend was Seungri's classmate and that was how they first met each other. Then they became close and started hanging out together. Kim was a promoter of a club and was also operating a ramen restaurant chain and bar with Jung Joon Young and Choi Jong Hoon. Jung and Choi are also indicted in the Burning Sun scandal.
Speaking further about Seungri, Kim said that the singer had not mediated any prostitution services. Clarifying about his statement with the police where he had said that Seungri was part of the scandal, Kim now said that when he spoke to cops he referred to Seungri and Yoo In Suk as one entity.
"When the Japanese acquaintance [at Seungri's Christmas party] was matched with a prostitute, I accompanied [the prostitute] to the hotel entrance as per Yoo In Suk's instructions. As I could not remember clearly during the police questioning, I told that Yoo In Suk, Seungri, and Madam A had planned it. Now when I consider the situation, I remember it was Yoo In Suk's doing."
Group Chat Room
Kim also spoke about group chat room and said that Seungri would hardly participate in the chat. "Seungri had lots of concerts abroad, so he didn't respond quickly in our group chat room." He also said: "Seungri enjoyed hosting grand parties like 'The Great Gatsby,' but never heard him speak about sexual desires."
Seungri is facing eight charges including purchase of prostitution services, prostitution mediation, embezzlement, violation of the Act on the Aggravated Punishment, etc. of Specific Economic Crimes (an additional charge for embezzlement of a sum exceeding a certain number), violation of the Food Sanitation Act, habitual gambling, violation of the Foreign Exchange Transactions Act, and violation of the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment, etc. of Sexual Crimes.
The Ground Operations Command's general military court will question 22 witnesses every Thursday until December. On November 19, Jung Joon Young, Yoo In Suk and former Burning Sun MD (promoter) Kim, and a woman referred to as "A," were called in for questioning. But only Kim attended the hearing. Jung is said to have been ill and Yoo was awaiting a sentencing hearing in December. Currently, Kim is charged with indecent act by compulsion and is serving four-year jail term.
