Disgraced K-pop singer Jung Joon-young released from prison after five years

Disgraced K-pop singer and convicted rapist Jung Joon-young has been released from prison after serving a five-year sentence.

Jung, now 35 years old, has released from Mokpo Prison in South Jeolla province today (March 19) at about 5am, according to a report by The Straits Times via The Korea Herald. The former singer is said to have had worm a mask and a hat, and did not address reporters stationed outside the prison.

The musician was first linked to the now-infamous Burning Sun scandal in March 2019, when it was discovered that Jung had secretly filmed and shared nonconsensual sex videos (known as molka in Korean) in a chat room with several other K-pop stars, including ex-Big Bang member Seungri.

Jung, and a number of his acquaintances, was later accused and indicted for raping drunk unconscious women in 2016, according to Korea JoongAng Daily. He had first been sentenced to six-years in prison, before an appellate court reduced it to five in May 2020.

Prior to the scandal, Jung had rose to fame in the fourth season of the Mnet reality TV series Superstar K in 2012. He would go on to release several hit singles and albums from 2013 to 2018, before retiring from the entertainment industry in 2019 following the scandal.

Meanwhile, former K-pop singer and ex-Big Bang member Seungri was released from prison in February 2023 after completing an 18-month sentence for charges relating to his involvement in the Burning Sun scandal.

For help, advice or more information regarding sexual harassment, assault and rape in the UK, visit the Rape Crisis charity website. In the US, visit RAINN.

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