Former BIGBANG member Seungri, who is facing a new assault investigation in Seoul. (Photo / YTN Screenshot)
Former BIGBANG member Seungri is facing a new police investigation in Seoul after a man in his 30s filed a complaint accusing him of assault during an encounter at a restaurant in Gangnam, southern Seoul.
Korean media reports citing police say the Seoul Gangnam Police Station received a complaint last month that sought an investigation of Seungri, whose real name is Lee Seung‑hyun, under South Korea’s law covering what is known as “special assault.”
The complaint alleges that Seungri assaulted the man while the two were dining together at a restaurant in Seoul’s Gangnam district.
Police, however, have emphasized that the case remains at a very early stage. The complainant had not yet been formally questioned as of Thursday, and police said they could not confirm further details surrounding the alleged incident.
That distinction matters: filing a complaint submits an allegation for investigation. Police have not concluded that the alleged assault occurred, and they have not charged or convicted Seungri in connection with the new case.
Why Korean Reports Call It “Special Assault”
Several Korean reports have described the allegation as teuksu-pokhaeng (특수폭행), a specific category under Korean criminal law that is often translated literally as “special assault.”
Police have not disclosed what specifically led the complainant to seek investigation under the special-assault provision. Reports so far have provided only limited information about what allegedly happened inside the restaurant.
That makes details from the next stage of the investigation — including the complainant’s statement and any available evidence surrounding the encounter — particularly important.
A New Legal Issue After Seungri’s Previous Conviction
The investigation is drawing additional attention because of Seungri’s previous criminal case connected to the Burning Sun scandal.
Seungri debuted with BIGBANG in 2006 before leaving the group and announcing his retirement from the entertainment industry in 2019.
South Korean courts later convicted him on nine charges, including arranging prostitution, habitual gambling, and embezzlement-related offenses. In 2022, the Supreme Court upheld his 18‑month prison sentence. And Seungri completed the sentence before his release in February 2023.
The newly reported complaint remains separate from that conviction and does not establish the truth of the latest allegation.
What Happens Next
For now, the most significant detail about the new case may be how little investigators have confirmed.
Police plan to question the complainant and investigate the circumstances surrounding the alleged restaurant encounter before deciding how to proceed.
Until that process advances, reports that describe Seungri as committing a new assault exceed what authorities have publicly confirmed.
At this stage, the case stands as a newly filed criminal complaint under police investigation — not a finding of guilt.
David Kim is a senior author at Kpopbreaking.com, focusing on major K-pop events, industry trends, and global entertainment news.
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