This picture taken on March 12, 2019 shows K-pop star Jung Joon-young surrounded by reporters as he arrives at Incheon international airport in Incheon. — AFP / Yonhap: With wholesome looks and increasingly global fanbases, K-pop has sold its stars as the ultimate squeaky clean pin-ups. But a burgeoning sex scandal in the industry shows how pervasive discrimination and abuse are in South Korean society, activists say.
Both were members of the same chatroom where Jung and others shared illicit content of at least 10 women, according to broadcaster SBS. Many face tremendous pressure to look and behave perfectly in an industry powered by so-called “fandoms” — groups of well-organised admirers at home and abroad who spend enormous amounts of time and money to help their favoured stars climb up the charts and attack their perceived rivals.
The 29-year-old is also linked to a police investigation into Burning Sun, a nightclub where he was a public relations director, where staff are alleged to have filmed women with hidden cameras and used alcohol and drugs to sexually assault them. Another tweeted that they did not want to believe the accusation, adding: “I’m tired of all this and in pain. I admired Seungri for a long time and he made me smile in my worst days.”