Seungri's sentence for his "Burning Sun" scandal was reported to have been reduced to one and a half years in prison from the initial three years during the recent appeal trial.
Continue reading for all the details.
Seungri's Sentence Shortened to 1 and a Half Years in Prison During the Final Trial Appeal
On Jan. 27, No Cut News published an exclusive report stating that the High Court of the South Korean Armed Forces has given former BIGBANG member Seungri a reduced sentence of one year and six months in prison. It was finalized during an appeal trial that was held earlier this day.
Back in August 2021, Seungri's sentence was imprisonment for a total of three years, along with a fine of roughly 1.156 billion KRW (approximately 961,000 USD) for nine criminal charges, including sexual assault, embezzlement, habitual illegal gambling, illegal camera filming, assault, illegal foreign money transfer and more.
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After the court's initial sentencing, Seungri's legal representative submitted an appeal in October of last year. The military prosecution filed an appeal as well, and as a result, the military discharge of the former BIGBANG member was delayed. He was originally set to be discharged from his military duties on Sept. 16, 2021, only if he was found innocent of several charges against him.
In their exclusive report, No Cut News also stated that Seungri initially denied the accusations against him but he eventually admitted to all the nine criminal charges during the appeal trial. It is said that he also submitted a statement where he expressed his intent to reflect on his wrongdoings.
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They added that the High Court considered that the defendant admitted to the allegations and had done some reflections after the initial trial ruling.
At present, Seungri is imprisoned in the ROK Military's Correctional Institution, which is the same as a military prison.
If Seungri's side would accept the reduced sentence of one year and six months in prison, the former BIGBANG member now has one year and one month left as he has been held in custody for five months since the first court ruling.
Former BIGBANG Seungri's Last Music Release before His "Burning Sun" Scandal and Retirement from the Entertainment Industry
In early 2019, Seungri was embroiled in a huge controversy surrounding the club Burning Sun because of his affiliation with the business as an occasional DJ and creative director/shareholder. The controversy involved several accusations including drug use and organizing sexual favors for investors among others.
In March 2019, Seungri took to Instagram to post a message where he announced his decision to leave BIGBANG and retire from the entertainment industry.
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Before withdrawing from BIGBANG, Seungri had his last group and solo release. As a band member, he participated in the group's single "Flower Road," which arrived in March 2018. The song serves as a goodbye to the fans as the members will enlist in the military in the same year.
"Flower Road" sold more than one million copies in China in only three days and 14 hours, the shortest record in history for a Korean artist.
As for his solo release, former BIGBANG Seungri dropped his first and last Korean studio album "The Great Seungri" in July 2018. He was highly involved in the production of the album, writing the lyrics and co-composing all tracks.
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Written by Mhaliya Scott
