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| Singer Jung Joon-young stands at the photoline to apologize to the public over his suspected crimes after undergoing a marathon police interrogation last Thursday at Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency in Seoul. / Yonhap |
Senior police superintendent booked for official secret leakage
By Kim Jae-heun
An arrest warrant was sought for K-pop singer Jung Joon-young, Monday, for his suspected crimes of illicitly recording sex videos with over 10 partners and sharing them with his celebrity friends through a mobile phone messenger.
The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said it asked the prosecution to request a warrant to a court for Jung.
If a court issues the warrant, Jung would be the first to be arrested among eight members who shared the illegally filmed videos in a controversial group chat including singer Seungri of BIGBANG and Seungri's business partner Yu In-suk.
Jung is suspected of sharing in the group chat explicit photos and videos that he recorded secretly with at least 10 women. He was earlier questioned at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency on Thursday, and admitted to the illegality.
Police also sought an arrest warrant for a staffer at Burning Sun nightclub, where Seungri was a PR director, for also sharing such images. He was also a member of the group chat.
Their conversations in the group chat implied many more irregularities, such as Seungri seeking an escort service for foreign investors for his business and Yu having cozy ties with police.
Police said they secured testimony about Seungri's alleged attempt to provide sex services for potential foreign investors in 2015.
They are additionally investigating Seungri's alleged overseas gambling in Las Vegas. Although gambling is legal in Las Vegas, South Korean law prohibits citizens from gambling anywhere overseas.
According to a local weekly newsmagazine, Seungri told his business partner that he won 200 million won through gambling and that he kept the money at a local foreign exchange called Savebank.
Meanwhile, a police senior superintendent surnamed Yoon, who admitted his acquaintance with Seungri and Yu, has been booked for leaking official secrets related to his duties.
In the group chat, the members implied a senior police official had their backs, and police found it was Yoon.
Yoon is suspected of having obtained investigation information from police officers at Gangnam Police Station in southern Seoul about a case where "Monkey Museum," a lounge bar run by Seungri and Yu, was reported for violating the Food Sanitation Act in July 2016.
Yoon worked at Gangnam Police Station until 2015. He was later promoted and worked at the civil affairs office in Cheong Wa Dae for a year until last July.
In last week's questioning, Yoon also confessed that he met Seungri through Yu and the three went golfing together several times from 2017 to 2018. The police are looking into who paid for the golfing and food.
"Yoon admitted that he told Seungri and Yu how the investigation into the lounge bar was proceeding, and that's why he was booked for leaking official secrets," a police official said. "But we will have to see if it affected the investigation's results or money was involved, because then the charge could be changed (into bribery)."
In the meantime, President Moon Jae-in called for a thorough investigation into the allegations.
"A new class of privileged has allegedly committed crimes including drug use, sexual violence and illegal business operation, and the government authorities including police and the National Tax Service overlooked the irregularities and corrupt ties," Moon said after being briefed on the case by Justice Minister Park Sang-ki, according to Cheong Wa Dae.
"The alleged crimes were committed during past administrations, but it is likely similar practices have continued, so a thorough investigation is required," he said, calling for a probe of other entertainment establishments and other government organizations for possible corrupt ties.
