Over the last few weeks Seungri, former member of K-pop super group Big Bang, transformed from a beloved star into a toxic example of issues festering in South Korean society. The change began when a customer at the popular nightclub Burning Sun in Gangnam, Seoul, was assaulted in November 2018—a story that went public in late January 2019. Seungri, whose real name is Lee Seung-hyun, had bragged on TV that he was the owner of Burning Sun and not merely lending his name to the business; therefore, media attention on the case was intense.
