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| Former BIGBANG member Seungri will face trial in a military court. Yonhap |
By Dong Sun-hwa
Seungri, formerly of K-pop act BIGBANG, will join the Army on March 9 and face trial in a military court on prostitution arrangement and gambling charges.
The singer, 29, is set to join military boot camp in Cherwon County in Gangwon Province on Monday. He will undergo five weeks' training.
Seungri, who has been indicted without detention on several charges including prostitution arrangement, illicit gambling and embezzlement, will be tried in a military court.
Police and prosecutors sought an arrest warrant for him last May and in January, but the court refused. It said there was room for dispute and that the singer was unlikely to destroy evidence.
"We will cooperate with the prosecutors for a fair and consistent ruling," an official from the Military Manpower Administration said.
The former BIGBANG member is suspected of habitual gambling in Las Vegas and arranging sex services for prospective foreign investors 29 times between 2015 and 2016.
He was to begin his military service last March, but postponed his enlistment due to the investigation.
Seungri debuted in 2006 as a member of BIGBANG. The band shot to fame with a string of hits including "Day by Day" (2008). Seungri left the group in March last year following the controversies.
He will be discharged from the Army on Sept. 16, 2021.
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