Former Big Bang Member Seungri Sentenced to Prison for 3 Years
Seungri (birth name Lee Seung-hyeon, Age 31) is a former member of the group Big Bang. He was sentenced to three years in prison with charges of plotting prostitution for foreign investors and gambling.
Seungri's Sentencing
On August 12 in the afternoon (KST), at the General Military Court of the Ground Operations Command in Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do, the first trial of Seungri was held. He was charged with prostitution, embezzlement, and special assalt. That same day, the court has sentenced Seungri to three years in prison with a fine of 1,156,900,000 won or $997,986.98
The Former Big Bang Member's Charges
Last July 1, the trial versus Seungri was held at the General Military Court. Seungri was on trial for the charges of prostitution administration and crimes that involve the "Burning Sun" incident. That same day, the prosecution wanted a five-year sentence for the former Big Bang member with a fine of 20 million won or $17,252.78.
He was considered a key figure in the "Burning Sun" Scandal. Seungri was under heightened investigation from the police.
During the July 1 trial, there were six mobile phones surrendered by Seungri. Also, six women have been summoned to be investigated and questioned if they have been sexually harassed by the former Big Bang singer.
Seungri Goes to Prison with Several Charges
He maintained his position once again of denying eight chargers except for violating the Foreign Exchange Transaction Act. However, the military prosecutor has asked the court to sentence him to five years in prison with a fine of 20 million won or $17,252.78.
Seungri is charged with the violation of the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes, violation of the Food Sanitation Act, violation of the Act on Special Cases concerning the Punishment of Embezzlement and Sexual Violence Crimes, Habitual Gambling, violation of the Foreign Exchange Transactions Act, violation of the Act on Punishment of Prostitution, and charges of a teacher of special assault.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Former BIGBANG Seungri Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison for 9 Charges
The Final Verdict for the Ex-Big Bang Member
On August 12, the court sentenced Seungri to three years in prison with a fine of 1,156,900 won ($997.99), and arrested him.
Today, the court looked at the details of prostitution brokerage and prostitution among Seungri's various charges. They also showed that Seungri mentioned "children who give well" in the text messages. In response, the court stated, "Seungri claimed that this character was a typo and that it was written because of the iPhone's auto-complete function, but it is difficult to see it as a typo based on various statements and circumstances."
Furthermore, Seungri said that he was under pressure from the police to investigate more and they said that they would arrest him.
Seungri, who is currently a soldier, will soon be discharged from military service. He was promoted to sergeant last June, and his active duty service will end in September. Seungri began receiving military trials in September 2020, when he was a private.
Seungri is currently a soldier, but he will be discharged from military service soon. If he is sentenced to over one year and six months in prison, he will be subject to compulsory discharge. According to Art. 137 of the Enforcement Decree of the Military Service Act, those who will be sentenced to imprisonment without prison labor for over a year and six months will be transferred to wartime service. It refers to a person who can't perform active duty or supplementary service but is determined to be able to handle the military support duties by calling for wartime work.
However, even though he is sentenced to only less than a year and six months of imprisonment, he can be forcibly discharged after another examination.
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Written by Annie Barmaine.
