Recent photos of Seungri, a former member of the popular K-pop group BIGBANG, have surfaced online, creating a stir among fans and netizens.
The images, shared on various online communities and social media platforms, show Seungri posing with a businessman. Notably, Seungri appears to have gained some weight compared to his previous appearances. The businessman is reportedly a jewelry brand owner from Malaysia who met Seungri during a visit to South Korea.
Seungri was at the center of the infamous Burning Sun scandal in 2019, which led to his departure from BIGBANG and effectively ended his entertainment career. In January 2020, he was indicted on eight charges, including prostitution, embezzlement, and habitual gambling. During his military trial, an additional charge of special assault instigation was added. Despite appeals, the Supreme Court of South Korea upheld his conviction on all nine charges in 2022, sentencing him to 18 months in prison. Seungri was released from Yeoju Prison in February 2023 after serving his sentence.
Since his release, Seungri has been spotted mostly overseas. In January of last year, he attended a restaurant event in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, where he stirred controversy by dancing to the song 'GOOD BOY' by G-Dragon and Taeyang, and expressing a desire to bring G-Dragon there someday. In May of the same year, local media reported that Seungri was planning to open a club in Cambodia, a claim that his representatives denied.
Seungri has also been occasionally seen in South Korea. In March, an online post described him dining with a woman at a restaurant in Seoul's Songpa District. The poster noted that while many recognized him, they pretended not to. When asked for an autograph, Seungri reportedly left without finishing his meal. In May, he was spotted with a woman known as a cryptocurrency trader and luxury appraiser.
By Min-Kyung Lee, TenAsia Reporter 2min_ror@tenasia.co.kr