Content Warning: This article includes descriptions of sexual assault that may disturb some readers.

Written by: Jessica Sie (Staff of Media and Creative Design)

“For women, everywhere we go feels like the club Burning Sun”

Burning Sun was a once-exclusive nightclub located in Gangnam, Seoul, known for its owner, Seungri of the popular K-pop group Big Bang. It quickly became one of the most popular nightlife destinations in the world. The club opened its doors on February 23, 2018, at the Le Méridien Seoul Hotel and it immediately met success with extravagant parties, celebrity endorsements, and exclusive VIP services, attracting crowds over 1,000 nightly. However, its glamorous reputation took a dramatic turn.

The downfall began when two shocking closed-circuit television (CCTV) videos were leaked on social media. In one video, a woman is seen being forcefully dragged from the club floor by her hair to a VIP room, screaming and struggling while several staff members watched. She reported to the police that she was sexually assaulted in the VIP room after being drugged. Instead of getting help, she was sued for defamation and property damage by the club, and her report was dismissed by the police. Weeks later, the second video surfaced showing a man being violently assaulted by security, a club director, and police. He claimed he was protecting a woman from being sexually assaulted inside the club when he was attacked and dragged outside. Afterward, he was taken to the police station and assaulted for another eight hours. His family reached out to the media, sparking public interest and leading to a petition for a government investigation, which quickly gained traction and led to an inquiry into the club and the Gangnam Police. These initial revelations were just the beginning as Burning Sun became the site where a scandal that shocked South Korea and the world unfolded.

So, What Exactly Happened in the Burning Sun Club?

“There was a room deep in the club. Whatever were to happen there, you would not hear anything”, the Burning Sun club was a hidden world where videos of women being drugged, raped, and humiliated were shared. Here’s a breakdown of some of the most significant crime involved:

1. Drugging and Assaulting Women

Women at Burning Sun were drugged and assaulted without their knowledge. The drug used was gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB), commonly known as ‘liquid ecstasy’ or ‘blue nitro’. GHB is a party drug that induces feelings of euphoria, confidence, relaxation, and sociability (Better Health Channel, 2012). These effects made the victims at Burning Sun particularly vulnerable to further sexual exploitation. This practice was part of a broader pattern of predatory behavior, including sexual assault.

2. Collusion with Police

The Burning Sun scandal revealed a disturbing level of collusion between the police and the club’s illegal activities. Some police officers were allegedly involved in covering up crimes, such as drug dealing and sexual assault by accepting bribes. When victims reported being assaulted and drugged, their complaints were dismissed by the police. Meanwhile, those who tried to help the victims, faced brutal assaults themselves (Storms et al., 2021). This corruption allowed the criminal activities to continue unchecked.

3. Hidden Camera Recordings (Molka)

Illegal recordings and sexually explicit footage, captured by hidden cameras known as molka, were secretly filmed without the victims’ consent and then distributed widely. The exposure of these crimes came to light through chat transcripts via Kakaotalk that were leaked. The chat transcripts included alarming statements such as “I assaulted her at a shopping center,” “Take a photo with the silencer on. Let’s record it,” “Let’s all get together and assault them in the car,” “I gave her sleeping pills and assaulted her,” and “You raped her (laughs)” (Storms et al., 2021). These revelations exposed the extent of the exploitation and implicated numerous K-pop celebrities, including Jung Joon-young, Seungri, and Choi Jong-hoon.

In addition to these crime, Moon-ho Lee, the former CEO of Burning Sun and Seungri’s close friend, made dismissive and provocative remarks regarding the allegations of sexual assault and drugging at the club. He questioned why victims did not immediately report the incidents to the police and suggested that if the allegations were true. Lee’s comments included statements like:

“The reason for the national anger is that they [the public] think victims were fed GHB and forcefully raped. [If there are such victims,] why the victims did not report the incidents to the police immediately if the allegations were true, instead of just spilling them to the media? If you sue, the perpetrator will be arrested, you can get settlement money, and you can get all legal penalties. Why not? [When asked if he denied the allegations of sexual assault at Burning Sun] Is there anyone whom the police have investigated as a rape victim? If Seungri’s KakaoTalk messages from three years ago are a crime, aren’t all Korean men criminals? It’s really an amazing witch hunt” (Storms et al., 2021).

In response to the scandal and the controversial remarks from the CEO, a significant rally took place on International Women’s Day (IWD) on March 8, 2019. Known as Burning Warning, the feminist parade was organized by six activist groups with over 200 people marched through Gangnam, including in front of the now-closed Burning Sun nightclub. This rally wasn’t just a protest; it was a statement. Survivors of sexual violence found a platform to share their stories, and the public came out in force to show their support. It was a clear message that the fight for justice and gender equality could not be ignored.

As the investigation unfolded, several high-profile individuals involved in the scandal were prosecuted and sentenced to prison. Seungri, the former K-pop star and co-owner of Burning Sun, was sentenced to 18 months in prison for charges related to prostitution, illegal gambling, and embezzlement. Jung Joon-young, a singer-songwriter, received a six-year prison sentence for sexual assault and sharing explicit footage. Choi Jong-hoon, a former member of the band FT Island, was sentenced to five years in prison for sexual assault (Vinh Trinh Luu, 2023). While these convictions were viewed as a partial victory in the battle against sexual violence and corruption in South Korea, many activists believe that more comprehensive and systemic changes are still necessary to address the root causes of these issues.

Today’s Conditions and Ongoing Challenges

Despite the convictions and heightened awareness from the Burning Warning parade, the fight against gender-based violence in South Korea is far from over. The rise of “the new nth room” on Telegram highlights the ongoing threat of digital sexual violence in South Korea. These Telegram rooms, with over 212,000 participants, required members to submit photos and personal details of women they knew to gain access (Koreaboo, 2024). Some of these rooms, including a “humiliation room” with 1,932 members, were organized into categories such as “cousin room,” “mom room,” “acquaintance room,” “older sister room,” and “younger sister room”, where members would share photos or videos of themselves inappropriately touching their sisters, mothers, or acquaintances, often while the women were asleep or, in some cases, drugged (Lee, 2024). 

The scandal also involves deepfake pornography, with lists of schools linked to both perpetrators and victims being exposed. Even prestigious schools like the SKY universities, Yonsei, Seoul National, and Korea Universities are implicated  (Koreaboo, 2024). The list of involved schools keeps expanding by the minute, proving that despite progress, gender-based violence and digital exploitation remain deeply rooted issues.

This ongoing struggle really shows how crucial it is to keep pushing for women’s rights in South Korea. Women are speaking out more than ever, and movements like the 4B Movement are leading the charge. They’re challenging outdated gender roles and bringing fresh perspectives on relationships, marriage, and societal norms. These efforts are a vital part of the broader push for real, systemic change and gender equality.

As the struggle for justice and gender equality continues, it’s clear that the battle goes beyond high-profile cases like Burning Sun. It also addresses the everyday digital threats faced by women and girls. This ongoing issue demands constant vigilance and action to protect the rights and dignity of everyone in South Korea.

References

BBC World Service. (2024, May 18). Burning Sun: Exposing the secret K-pop chat groups – BBC World Service Documentaries. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9EEp1q_iMYc

Better Health Channel. (2012). GHB – Better Health Channel. Vic.gov.au. https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/GHB

Choi Ye-jin. (2019, March 18). Women step out for empowerment on International Women’s Day. Ewha Voice. https://evoice.ewha.ac.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=5744

Koreaboo. (2024, August 26). Koreaboo. https://www.koreaboo.com/news/new-nth-room-deepfake-telegram-crime-south-korea/

Lee, J. (2024, August 28). The “New Nth Room ” — disturbing return of Telegram-based groups featuring sexually exploitative material rocks South Korea. Yahoo News; Yahoo News. https://malaysia.news.yahoo.com/nth-room-disturbing-return-telegram-030644173.html

Reuters, & Agence France-Presse. (2024, August 27). SCMP. South China Morning Post. https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3276153/south-korea-vows-tougher-stance-after-outcry-over-sexual-deepfakes-telegram-chat-rooms

Storms, C., Thomas, D., & Traylor, L. (2021). Rape and Molka in Club Burning Sun: Analyzing South Korean Newspaper Portrayals of Sexual Violence Against Women. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4768496

Vinh Trinh Luu. (2023). Seung-ri and the Burning Sun Scandal: A Study of K-pop Idol Reputations and Identities. https://doi.org/10.32657/10356/163672