Former BIGBANG members face police probe, concert cancellation
Former BIGBANG members T.O.P, left, and Seungri / Xportsnews
As BIGBANG celebrates its 20th anniversary, former members Seungri and T.O.P grapple with controversies
Amid news that former BIGBANG member Seungri faces a criminal complaint for aggravated assault, the cancellation of T.O.P's concert is also drawing attention to the contrasting fortunes of the former bandmates.
The Seoul Gangnam Police Station said Thursday it received a criminal complaint on Aug. 26 seeking charges against Seungri for aggravated assault.
The complaint alleges Seungri assaulted a man in his 30s at a restaurant in Gangnam District, southern Seoul.
Police plan to question the accuser to investigate the allegations.
"It is true that I picked up a liquor bottle while refusing to share a table, but I did not brandish it or make threats," Seungri said in an interview with Ilgan Sports.
He expressed bewilderment over the accuser's sudden change in attitude, noting they subsequently shared a table, conversed amicably and exchanged texts after parting ways.
"I will fully cooperate with the investigation to reveal the truth," he said.
Former BIGBANG member Seungri attends a pretrial detention hearing at the Seoul Central District Court in January 2020. Korea Times photo by Seo Jae-hoon
Separately that same day, T.O.P announced his concert scheduled for Sept. 19 in Jakarta, Indonesia, was canceled due to local conditions.
Representatives for T.O.P wrote on social media, "The artist and the agency made every effort to proceed with the scheduled performance, but we inevitably decided to cancel as it was judged unfeasible under local conditions."
T.O.P, who went on hiatus after receiving a 10-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, for smoking marijuana, officially left BIGBANG in 2023.
He subsequently returned to acting in the 2024 Netflix series "Squid Game 2" and resumed his music career by releasing his first solo studio album in April.
Since last month, he has remained active internationally through his Asia brand tour, "T.O.P PRE-STUDIO 2026."
Former BIGBANG member T.O.P/ Courtesy of TOPSPOT PICTURES
This year marks the 20th anniversary of BIGBANG's debut. The band kicked off its 20th-anniversary world tour last month at the Goyang Sports Complex Main Stadium in Gyeonggi Province.
Coinciding with BIGBANG's 20th anniversary, attention remains focused on the divergent paths of its former members.
K-pop boy band BIGBANG performs during its first concert as a full group in nine years, marking the 20th anniversary of its debut. Courtesy of YG Entertainment
This article from Xportsnews is adapted by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.