Police ask for China’s help in probe

Korean police confirmed Thursday they are seeking cooperation from Chinese law enforcement in the probe of a nightclub tied to former Big Bang member Seungri.

The request was made to verify speculation surrounding a Taiwanese businesswoman who is said to own a large stake in the Burning Sun nightclub that is under investigation over a range of illegalities.

Speculation has it that she was funded by the Triad, a secret Chinese crime organization based in China, Taiwan, Macau and elsewhere, and that her husband is a big shot in Taiwan’s gambling community.

“We have learned of such speculation from media reports, and it’s one of the many for which we need the help from the Chinese authorities for verification,” an official from Seoul’s National Police Agency (NPA) said.

The NPA has also asked Beijing to share any information about the Triad’s involvement in the cryptocurrency business.

A source in Beijing told Yonhap that the Chinese authorities have yet to respond to the request from the Seoul police.

In their latest briefing, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency probing the sex video case involving Seungri and singer Jung Joon-young, said it has booked Roy Kim, another K-pop singer, on the charge of distributing obscene photographs.

The police plan to soon summon Kim for questioning.

They have also booked three other Burning Sun employees, including one surnamed Ahn who worked as the Taiwanese woman’s Korean guide, for embezzlement charges.

The nightclub, located in Gangnam, and its two co-CEOs have also been booked for hiring minors as security guards.

Yonhap