Seungri's club shuttered

Seungri

SEOUL • Maybe the anger directed at Seungri will start to dissipate now that Seoul club Burning Sun reportedly stopped operating from Sunday.

The BigBang singer, 28, who owns the club, had come under fire over reports of staff assaulting a clubgoer, and subsequent police investigation of whether it was a hot spot for drug distribution and sexual harassment.

"We have decided to shut down the business, in light of the ongoing investigation. This does not mean that we admit to all the controversies," the allkpop portal cited a club representative as saying.

An employee was said to have been arrested over drug use.

Seungri, on his part, has tried to repair the damage.

Last Saturday at his concert in Seoul, he apologised to his fans, saying: "I feel like if I ignore it, people who came today won't feel comfortable. I'm sorry for causing any disappointment to so many people and I'm reflecting on what happened.

"Despite there being a controversy, I didn't act responsibly.

"As I'm a celebrity, I'll think and act more carefully from now on. I want to apologise for not showing modesty and for acting carelessly.

"For the past year, I've been doing my best to bring you all happiness. I've brought you disappointment and, for that, I'm ashamed."

The boss of his management agency, YG Entertainment, has also tried to calm the situation, revealing too that Seungri had resigned as an executive director of the club.

But the move is not directly linked to the hit on its reputation.

The singer, who will perform in Singapore on Saturday, is slated to enlist in mandatory military service soon and the rules forbid a soldier from conducting business activities.

Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on February 19, 2019, with the headline Seungri's club shuttered. Subscribe