Seungri’s Friend And Former Burning Sun Employee Gives Testimony Denying Seungri’s Prostitution Mediation Charges
On November 19, Seungri’s third hearing for his eight charges took place at the Ground Operations Command’s general military court in Yongin.
Seungri has been indicted on 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.
Starting with this hearing, the court will call in 22 witnesses every Thursday until December. The witnesses who were asked to attend the hearing on November 19 were Jung Joon Young, former Yuri Holdings CEO Yoo In Suk, former Burning Sun MD (promoter) Mr. Kim, and a woman referred to as “A,” but only Mr. Kim was present at the hearing this day. Mr. Kim is serving his sentence of four years for charges including indecent act by compulsion. Jung Joon Young’s reason for non-attendance was poor health, while Yoo In Suk’s reason was his upcoming sentencing hearing in December. The court will request their attendance on December 10.
In response to a question related to Seungri’s prostitution meditation charges, Mr. Kim said, “I only did what was instructed by Yoo In Suk (not by Seungri).”
Mr. Kim testified that when he visited Seungri’s home in 2015, he saw Yoo In Suk with two women and also saw him engage in sexual intercourse with a woman. He added that he had never seen Seungri performing sexual acts with a woman nor illegally filming footage.
Mr. Kim explained, “A friend I’ve been close with since I was younger was Seungri’s classmate in university, so [Seungri and I] became close as all of us hung out together. I used to be a club MD, and then I operated a ramen restaurant chain as well as a bar with Jung Joon Young and Choi Jong Hoon.”
He repeated that Seungri had not mediated prostitution services, saying, “In the police investigation, I referred to Seungri and Yoo In Suk as one entity, but thinking about it now, it was Yoo In Suk. 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. I couldn’t remember clearly during the police questioning, so I said that Yoo In Suk, Seungri, and Madam A had planned it. Now that I’m asked about it after speaking about the situation, I remember it was Yoo In Suk’s doing.”
Mr. Kim continued to testify, “Seungri had lots of concerts abroad, so he didn’t respond very quickly in our group chat room. As a celebrity, he was conscious of people and once told his friends to be careful with their words and actions. He enjoyed hosting grand parties like ‘The Great Gatsby,’ but he has never once spoken about his sexual desires.”
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