One of the biggest scandals in K-pop history has come into focus once again. The Burning Sun scandal that first surfaced in 2019, shocking the nation and the world, is in the news once again thanks to a newly-released BBC documentary based on the subject. Created by BBC World Service’s investigative team, BBC Eye, the documentary based on the horrifying scandal highlights the incredible work of two female journalists who broke the story to the public in 2019.
The scandal involved the sexual assault of multiple women and the distribution of illegally-obtained video clips that documented the assault done by several rich and influential South Korean men. These included K-pop idols and actors, like BigBang bandmember Seungri, rock singer Jung Joon-young and guitarist Choi Jung-hoon. The journalists, Park Hyo-sil and Kang Kyung-yoon, bravely covered the scandal despite severe backlash from the celebrities’ fans and the country’s inherently misogynistic society.
In the documentary, they talk about how they were bombarded with death threats and online abuse. However, it was their continued coverage of the scandal that allowed other victims to come forward and press charges against these celebrities. The documentary has unearthed some never-before-seen details involving the investigation and the aftermath.
Here’s a quick breakdown of everything to know about the Burning Sun scandal that shook the K-pop industry...
The scandal broke in 2019 when a male clubgoer was allegedly a.