Lee Sun-kyun, G-Dragon slapped with travel bans following drug use allegations

Actor Lee Sun-kyun, left, and K-pop star G-Dragon have been banned from leaving Korea following police investigations over their alleged drug use. [NEWS1]

The police on Friday put a travel ban on actor Lee Sun-kyun and K-pop star G-Dragon, who are both under investigation for alleged drug use.

Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency said it has confirmed that both Lee and G-Dragon are currently in Korea and has banned them from leaving the country through the Ministry of Justice.

The police also said that they plan to conduct a reagent test on both of them shortly, in order to check whether they did do drugs and, if they did, the type of drugs that were taken, and the strength and frequency of use.

G-Dragon on Friday morning denied using illegal drugs through a statement by his lawyer, stating that the artist has "nothing to do with the recent news reports about violating the Narcotics Control Act.”

The Incheon police on Wednesday had said that it opened an official investigation into G-Dragon concerning illegal drug use.

The police, however, view G-Dragon's case as separate from the string of investigations related to actor Lee's supposed drug use.

The Incheon police opened the case against Lee on Monday, suspecting him of having used marijuana and psychoactive drugs. His agency Hodu&U Entertainment has subsequently said that the actor plans to "diligently comply with any further investigation that may take place regarding this case."

G-Dragon debuted as a member of the boy band Big Bang in 2006, a five-member group under YG Entertainment. The boy band saw sensational success throughout the late 2000s and early 2010s. He was previously questioned for marijuana use in 2011 by Korean prosecutors, but his indictment was suspended at the time after he confessed to inhaling the substances unintentionally.

Lee debuted in 2001 through an MBC sitcom and has played leading roles in many acclaimed films and shows, including the Oscar-winning 2019 film “Parasite.” He is set to appear in two upcoming films and TV shows, including “Project Silence,” “The Land of Happiness” and the second season of “Dr. Brain.”

To find out more about G-Dragon, visit Celeb Confirmed!

BY LEE JIAN [lee.jian@joongang.co.kr]