Former K-pop singer and BIGBANG member Seungri has had his prison sentence reduced by half by an appeal court.the South Korean High Court for Armed Forces announced on Thursday that his jail term would be reduced to 18 months from the original three years1.15 billion Korean won in restitution –
for charges including facilitating prostitution and embezzlement in the case widely known as the Burning Sun scandal, so named after a nightclub in Seoul that he co-owned. He and his business partner were accused of arranging sexual services for potential investors and rich clients at the club. SCMP reported that Seungri had acknowledged at appeal court that he was guilty of all the charges laid against him and he also expressed remorse. The trial and appeal took place in the military court as he’s enlisted to perform national service during the course of the investigation.
The former idol, whose real name is Lee Seung-hyun, had originally pleaded guilty to only one of the nine charges – violating foreign exchange policies related to overseas gambling – in a lower court trial in August last year. However, he was convicted on all counts.