The fallout from the controversies surrounding Seungri and Jung Joon-young continue as both of the embattled stars see their respective Korean record labels canceling their contracts.
After more than a decade together, YG Entertainment announced it had terminated its contract with Seungri as the BIGBANG singer is currently being investigated by police for supplying prostitution services following a raid of a Seoul club controlled by the star. The 28-year-old was booked by local police on March 11. Seungri had previously announced his retirement from the entertainment industry that same day in an Instagram post, reportedly without YG’s knowledge. YG Entertainment is currently home to internationally beloved K-pop acts like CL, WINNER, iKON, BLACKPINK and more. The company did not return Billboard‘s multiple requests for comment.
A similar fate follows Jung Joon-young, the rock-pop singer also involved in the scandals who admitted to the illegal filming and sharing explicit videos of women via social media without their consent. While the 30-year-old voluntarily “suspended” his career in entertainment in an apology letter shared on March 12, his home of MakeUs Entertainment announced via statement that they had terminated the contract after relaying the apology. A smaller agency, MakeUs is home to K-pop star Sunmi, R&B outfit Urban Zakapa and singer-songwriter Park Won. The company signed Jung in January.
More notable figures are rumored to be revealed in the ongoing sexual crime ring investigations currently shaking up the K-pop industry, potentially changing the face and lineups of several notable companies and groups.