If Korea isn’t an option, target overseas fans! Will Jung Joon-young be the next batter after his release in March?
Park Yoochun, embroiled in drug and tax evasion controversies, Kim Jeong-hoon facing DUI and pregnancy scandal, and former F.T. Island member Choi Jong-hoon, a member of the “Jung Joon-young chatroom”, have followed similar brazen paths, resembling an official formula.
Celebrities facing difficulties in domestic comebacks due to various scandals are targeting overseas fans to make a comeback, maintaining their remaining fame. Most of them have reversed retirement declarations they made during their controversies as if nothing happened.
The most prominent figure is Park Yoochun.
Despite controversies such as drug use and tax evasion, Park Yoochun held high-priced fan meetings for overseas fans and even opened a personal SNS account. While some speculate that Park Yoochun’s new account signals a full-fledged return in Korea, his first post was recent photos with his brother in Japan.
On Feb 16th, Park Yoochun’s brother Park Yoohwan requested followers on his account, saying, “Hi everyone! Letting everyone know that Mr. Park (Park Yoochun) has created his own Instagram.” The brothers showed affection for each other in front of a shrine in Japan.
Earlier, on Feb 9th, Park Yoochun caused controversy by holding the 20th-anniversary fan meeting “Re.birth” at a restaurant in Tokyo, with ticket prices soaring up to 460,000 won.
Furthermore, Park Yoochun was found on the list of habitual tax delinquents disclosed by the National Tax Service last year, owing 400 million won in unpaid taxes. Since then, he seems to be concentrating only on making money overseas without making any statements.
Park Yoochun previously declared to the public during his drug allegations in 2019, “I did not use drugs. If I had, I would retire from the entertainment industry.” However, he was found guilty of drug use and sentenced to ten months imprisonment, suspended for two years.
Kim Jeong-hoon of the male duo group UN collided with another vehicle at 3:30 AM on Dec 28th last year in Gangnam-gu, Seoul while changing lanes. Although the police attempted to conduct a DUI test, Kim Jeong-hoon refused, resulting in him being charged with refusal to undergo DUI testing under the Road Traffic Act. The driver of the other vehicle was injured in the accident, leading to charges under the Special Act on Traffic Accident Handling.
Kim Jeong-hoon once had his license revoked for DUI in 2011 and apologized, “No matter how many times I think about it, it’s my fault. I will never do it again.” In 2019, he was embroiled in a scandal involving his girlfriend’s pregnancy.
Unable to return to Korea, Kim Jeong-hoon held a fan meeting in Japan without addressing his DUI incident directly. He indirectly confessed his feelings, “On my birthday, my mom made me seaweed soup and said, ‘Be more careful from now on.’ There are so many people supporting me, and I’m reflecting on what I did wrong.”
Choi Jong-hoon, a member of the “Jung Joon-young chatroom”, has also recently shown signs of returning in Japan since his release. Through Japan’s fan community site FANICON, he expressed his determination to make a comeback after about 5 years, saying, “I greet you all after about 5 years. I have gained strength from each of your messages and am able to show myself in a healthy state. I am truly grateful. I want to show you everything, such as what I want to do or my personal life.”
Choi Jong-hoon was sentenced to 2 years and 6 months in prison for his involvement in the group sexual assault and illegal filming of intoxicated women and was released in November 2021.
Seungri also faced controversy after being spotted at an event in Cambodia. Despite his release in February last year, he continued to attract attention with stories of club sightings and luxurious birthday party. Mentioning Big Bang’s G-Dragon while in Cambodia, Seungri drew criticism by saying “I will bring G-Dragon here someday” and exciting the crowd by dancing to GD&Taeyang’s song “GOOD BOY”.
Previously implicated as a central figure in the Burning Sun scandal in 2019, Seungri was indicted on nine charges, including arranging prostitution, habitual gambling, violation of the Foreign Exchange Transactions Act, violation of the Food Sanitation Act, embezzlement… In May 2022, the Supreme Court convicted Seungri and confirmed his sentence of 1 year and 6 months in prison. After his actual sentence was confirmed, Seungri was transferred to a civilian prison and was released in February last year.
Who will be the next celebrity aiming for this bypass formula? All eyes are now on Jung Joon-young, scheduled to be released in March. Jung Joon-young, who was sentenced to 5 years in prison for group sexual assault and dissemination of illegal filming material involving intoxicated women, is reportedly set to be released in March.
