$8,400 Per Table On Drinks Alone: From VIP Lounges to Drug Scandal Rocks Korean Entertainment

Lee Sun Kyun and G-Dragon, VIPs of ‘members-only lounge’ accessible only to the top 1%.
This is not the first time G-Dragon has regarding drug use allegations

As actor Lee Sun-kyun’s ‘drug scandal’ rapidly spread throughout the entertainment industry, the actual name of another celebrity suspected of drug use has been revealed.

The celebrity in question is G-Dragon (GD), a member of the group Big Bang, who was suspected of marijuana use in 2011. After his name was revealed, his former agency, YG Entertainment, drew a line stating, “(G-Dragon) is not our affiliated artist,” G-Dragon, who currently does not have an official agency, has maintained silence without any particular statement.

Following Lee Sun-kyun, G-Dragon was charged with drug administration. The common factor between the two is that they are ‘Room Salon VIPs.’ Lee Sun-kyun and G-Dragon are VIPs of the ‘membership-based room salon’ that only the top 1% can enter.

On the 24th, New Daily reported, “The entertainment establishment pointed out as the place where Lee Sun-kyun administered drugs is the room salon ‘G establishment’ in Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul,” and “It’s a room salon that the top 1% of people, including famous athletes, celebrities, and high-ranking business people, frequent.”

It has been reported that G-Dragon was also a VIP guest following Lee Sun-kyun. The cost of drinks for a typical 3-4 person table is around 8 to 10 million won (about $6,720 to $8,400), and it was shocking to learn that the table charge that entertainers, aspiring entertainers, and models take is around 2 million won (about $1,680).

Lee Sun-kyun became acquainted with the establishment through a friend. He became a regular customer by building a close relationship with Mr. A, the establishment’s manager. Lee Sun-kyun has been suspected of administering various drugs, including marijuana, at Mr. A’s home in Seoul since the beginning of this year. Mr. A was detained last week after many psychotropic drug ingredients were detected in a drug test.

The police reportedly obtained a statement on G-Dragon’s drug use from Mr. A, who had been arrested for administering drugs with Lee Sun-kyun and extorting about 350 million won (about $294,000). The entertainment establishment in question is known to be a closed membership establishment targeting only celebrities and businessmen.

As mentioned earlier, following Yoo Ah-in and Lee Sun-kyun, the ‘drug scandal’ has now extended to G-Dragon. This is not the first time G-Dragon has been suspected of drug administration. In May 2011, G-Dragon smoked marijuana in Japan, and the hair test result was positive. However, the prosecution gave G-Dragon a suspended indictment because he was a first-time offender, and the detected substance was below the standard for sentencing of drug offenders.

Later, G-Dragon appeared on the SBS entertainment program ‘Healing Camp’ and explained, “When the police questioned me, I responded confidently because I hadn’t been smoking marijuana. But the result was positive,” and “There were many people gathered at the after-party where we had a concert in Japan. I think the root cause was that I smoked a cigarette given to me by a stranger there.”

 

However, in response to criticism that the smell and taste of marijuana and cigarettes differ, G-Dragon made the excuse, “I was so drunk at the time that I didn’t know well. I thought it was a strong cigarette or a cigar.”

As the ‘drug scandal’ of Lee Sun-kyun spread, a 30-year-old composer, Mr. B, who became a hot topic with his appearance on a variety show in 2009 and his resemblance to a famous movie actor, is also under investigation for suspicion of drug administration. The police plan to sequentially investigate the suspicions of Hwang Hana, Han Seo-hee, a singer trainee, and others.

Meanwhile, the police have officially begun investigating Lee Sun-kyun as a suspect. It is known that they plan to apply for a body search warrant for Lee Sun-kyun’s drug test and start the smartphone digital forensic work as early as this week. In response, Lee Sun-kyun’s side stated, “We are currently verifying the exact facts about the suspicions raised against actor Lee Sun-kyun, and we intend to sincerely cooperate with the investigation of the investigative agency that may be conducted in the future with a truthful attitude.”