SOME UPDATES REGARDING BURNING SUN SCANDAL
The biggest news in South Korea remains the Burning Sun scandal. It has been sending shock waves through South Korean society for the past few weeks, exposing the culture of misogyny among young male celebrities, many of whom have been caught bragging about sexual conquests and sharing illegally made photos and videos of intercourse.
The police chief who was arrested for the 'Burning Sun' scandal has been cleared of the charges issued against him for covering up the scandal.
The Burning Sun scandal, named for the club in Gangnam associated with Seungri, of boy group Big Bang, comes a year after women began rallying in the streets in a wave of protests against systemic sexual abuse and the pervasive use of spycams (The women taking on spycams in South Korea). Shocking revelations in the Burning Sun case have rocked South Korea daily in recent months – seven chart-topping K-pop stars have been arrested on a range of charges from drug possession to group sexual assault, although not all have been indicted.
But accusations of police bribery, obstruction of justice or cases being completely dismissed highlight corruption at the highest levels in South Korea go back to the Park Geun-hye administration, and had been the spark for the massive candlelight protests that drew millions to the streets in 2016–17.
Police Chief Yoon was arrested back in October of 2019 for his alleged connection to the 'Burning Sun' scandal. Prosecutors accused Yoon of seeking monetary gains for completing favors, illegal monetary transactions, misuse of social service official privileges, attempts to eliminate evidence, and suppress investigations after police acquired evidence that Yoon illegally received several million KRW from business CEO Jung (45) in investment funds. He is also said to have asked Jung to delete their communication logs after the 'Burning Sun' scandal came to light. Yoon is said to have been referred to as 'police chief' in the infamous Kakaotalk group chatrooms.
Although the Seoul District Police are expected to hand down their final recommendations for prosecution of Seungri—the K-pop star at the center of the scandal—in early May, it is likely that questions about the behaviors of South Korea’s elite will continue to reverberate throughout 2019.
Although prosecutors stated that there is no way that the relationship between a police officer and businesses wasn't innocent and asked for three years of imprisonment along with 46 million KRW (37,000 USD) in fines, the court has rejected their charges. According to the court, "it does not appear that Yoon received investment funds in exchange for mediation" and stated that it is difficult to make conclusions based on the information Yoon received from the former CEO due to the fact that the contents of communications were undisclosed. However, the court did acknowledge that they were "not saying that the accused is 100% innocent or that the charges are not true" but that the prosecution's proof was insufficient for a conviction.
Yoon has previously insisted that he had no connection to Burning Sun although many netizens continue to voice their outrage at the lack of progress or arrests made in the case. Prosecutors are planning on appealing the decision in the near future.
Yang Sung-tae, a chief justice who headed the supreme court from 2011 to 2017 is now facing 47 charges, including allegedly instructing officials at the National Court Administration to interfere in trials in order to win favours from the then president. A further 10 judges have been referred to a disciplinary committee after a two-month review of 66 judges.
The Ministry of Justice panel has recommended the creation of an independent body to investigate corruption among high-ranking government officials but the protesters are not the only ones who believe more must be done before a break with the past can truly be achieved.
While hardly comparable to the misdeeds committed by major South Korean companies, Seungri’s drinking establishment Monkey Museum operated for three years in a residential neighborhood even though this type of business is prohibited in such areas. He registered it as a restaurant, paying lower taxes and business registrations fees. The KakaoTalk chats show that Seungri was even prepared to bribe inspectors to keep Monkey Museum open.
“Few members of the public have a memory span or patience enough to watch days of police corruption [reporting],” wrote Oh Young-jin in the Korea Times. “In the public’s collective consciousness, the people whose supposed mission is to protect and serve are tainted beyond being salvaged. By offering up the celebrities, the police have satisfied the public and taken the spotlight off the police.”
The Burning Sun scandal, named for the club in Gangnam associated with Seungri, of boy group Big Bang, comes a year after women began rallying in the streets in a wave of protests against systemic sexual abuse and the pervasive use of spycams (The women taking on spycams in South Korea). Shocking revelations in the Burning Sun case have rocked South Korea daily in recent months – seven chart-topping K-pop stars have been arrested on a range of charges from drug possession to group sexual assault, although not all have been indicted.
But accusations of police bribery, obstruction of justice or cases being completely dismissed highlight corruption at the highest levels in South Korea go back to the Park Geun-hye administration, and had been the spark for the massive candlelight protests that drew millions to the streets in 2016–17.
Police Chief Yoon was arrested back in October of 2019 for his alleged connection to the 'Burning Sun' scandal. Prosecutors accused Yoon of seeking monetary gains for completing favors, illegal monetary transactions, misuse of social service official privileges, attempts to eliminate evidence, and suppress investigations after police acquired evidence that Yoon illegally received several million KRW from business CEO Jung (45) in investment funds. He is also said to have asked Jung to delete their communication logs after the 'Burning Sun' scandal came to light. Yoon is said to have been referred to as 'police chief' in the infamous Kakaotalk group chatrooms.
Although the Seoul District Police are expected to hand down their final recommendations for prosecution of Seungri—the K-pop star at the center of the scandal—in early May, it is likely that questions about the behaviors of South Korea’s elite will continue to reverberate throughout 2019.
Although prosecutors stated that there is no way that the relationship between a police officer and businesses wasn't innocent and asked for three years of imprisonment along with 46 million KRW (37,000 USD) in fines, the court has rejected their charges. According to the court, "it does not appear that Yoon received investment funds in exchange for mediation" and stated that it is difficult to make conclusions based on the information Yoon received from the former CEO due to the fact that the contents of communications were undisclosed. However, the court did acknowledge that they were "not saying that the accused is 100% innocent or that the charges are not true" but that the prosecution's proof was insufficient for a conviction.
Yoon has previously insisted that he had no connection to Burning Sun although many netizens continue to voice their outrage at the lack of progress or arrests made in the case. Prosecutors are planning on appealing the decision in the near future.
Yang Sung-tae, a chief justice who headed the supreme court from 2011 to 2017 is now facing 47 charges, including allegedly instructing officials at the National Court Administration to interfere in trials in order to win favours from the then president. A further 10 judges have been referred to a disciplinary committee after a two-month review of 66 judges.
The Ministry of Justice panel has recommended the creation of an independent body to investigate corruption among high-ranking government officials but the protesters are not the only ones who believe more must be done before a break with the past can truly be achieved.
While hardly comparable to the misdeeds committed by major South Korean companies, Seungri’s drinking establishment Monkey Museum operated for three years in a residential neighborhood even though this type of business is prohibited in such areas. He registered it as a restaurant, paying lower taxes and business registrations fees. The KakaoTalk chats show that Seungri was even prepared to bribe inspectors to keep Monkey Museum open.
“Few members of the public have a memory span or patience enough to watch days of police corruption [reporting],” wrote Oh Young-jin in the Korea Times. “In the public’s collective consciousness, the people whose supposed mission is to protect and serve are tainted beyond being salvaged. By offering up the celebrities, the police have satisfied the public and taken the spotlight off the police.”
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