[1/5]G-Dragon of K-pop group BIGBANG arrives at a police station to appear for questioning over his alleged illegal drug use on November 6, 2023 in Incheon, South Korea. Portal/Kim Hong-Ji acquires license rights
INCHEON, South Korea, Nov 6 (Portal) – The former frontman of K-pop band BIGBANG, known as G-Dragon, appeared at a police station on Monday for questioning over allegations of illegal drug use, the latest in a series of South Korean artists, who are involved in high-profile drug cases.
The investigation into the singer and rapper, whose first name is Kwon Ji-yong, comes amid an ongoing crackdown on illegal drugs by conservative President Yoon Suk Yeol’s government.
After the allegations came to light in late October, stocks of some K-pop agencies, including Kwon’s former agent YG Entertainment (122870.KQ), fell, although they have since recovered.
As Kwon, 35, left the police station after four hours of questioning, he denied the allegations and said a drug test taken during questioning came back negative. He said he was cooperating with the police investigation.
Appearing for questioning earlier, Kwon, wearing a dark suit, said: “There is no truth in the allegation of illegal drug-related crimes.”
The Incheon police station was the same place where the star of the Oscar-winning film “Parasite,” Lee Sun-kyun, was separately questioned over the weekend on allegations of illegal drug use.
Lee declined to comment as he left the police station on Saturday, saying only that he had answered all questions asked by police to the best of his ability.
A series of drug arrests in recent months, including of chaebol heirs and celebrities, has prompted authorities to crack down on drugs and customs controls.
South Korea has strict drug laws and crimes are typically punishable by at least six months in prison or up to 14 years for repeat offenders and dealers.
Social media and travel abroad have made illicit drugs easier to access, drug rehab advocates say.
Kwon is not the first member of BIGBANG to face criminal charges.
In 2017, TOP, whose real name is Choi Seung-hyun, was given a 10-month suspended sentence for marijuana use after pleading guilty and asking for mercy to avoid prison time.
Seungri, whose real name is Lee Seung-hyun, was convicted in 2021 of engaging in tax evasion, bribery and prostitution and served an 18-month prison sentence.
BIGBANG dominated the K-pop scene after their debut in 2006. Kwon and four other former and current members pursued solo careers.
Reporting by Dogyun Kim, Jimin Jung and Jack Kim; Edited by Ed Davies, Gerry Doyle and Bernadette Baum
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