Burning Sun whistleblower urges celebrities to confess what they know about scandal

Screen capture of the Instagram post from Kim Sang-kyo. [INSTAGRAM SCREEN CAPTURE]

The whistleblower of the Burning Sun scandal, Kim Sang-kyo, asked Hyoyeon of the girl group Girls' Generation to come forward and testify about what she saw at a night club on Nov. 24, 2018, on his Instagram on Wednesday.

The scandal first came to public attention three years ago with an assault case involving Kim at the Burning Sun club in southern Seoul, owned by Lee Seung-hyun, widely known as Seungri, a former member of the boy band Big Bang, and eventually unraveled into one of the biggest drug and sex scandals in Korean entertainment industry history, involving police bribery, drug use, prostitution and sexual assault.

Kim uploaded a post showing Hyoyeon DJ-ing at the club with the title “JM Solution X Burning Sun Party.”

“Who is that female actor that was drooling from drugs, preventing the two policemen from station in Yeoksam Police Precinct from entering the club,” Kim wrote. “You would have seen all in the VVIP, Hyoyeon."

He advised her “to start to fess up,” saying that it’s only a matter of time before dozens of celebrities involved in the club are revealed.

“I guess you’re all hiding in a house somewhere doing drugs and filming [sex] videos,” he continued. “[But] it’s almost over.”

Kim also targeted Lee saying that he is counting down the days for him to be discharged from his mandatory military service.

“I have all your names,” Kim wrote. “It’s your choice now. Either be harassed by me all your life or confess one by one and apologize and be forgiven.”

In November 2018, Kim was assaulted by the club’s security guards and staff while he was trying to help a woman that was being sexually harassed.

On Thursday, Lee participated in the seventh military court trial in Yongin, Gyeonggi, on multiple allegations such as sex solicitation and embezzlements. Prosecutors revealed that Lee has also been indicted of ordering the infliction of violence upon others.

Lee started his mandatory military service last March and facing a military trial as an active solider. He has only admitted to charges of accusations of illegal gambling overseas and has denied all other allegations against him.

BY LEE JAE-LIM [lee.jaelim@joongang.co.kr]