G-Dragon Mentions Ex-Members Seungri & T.O.P: “BIGBANG as Three? Not by Choice”
The Feb 23rd broadcast of MBC’s “Good Day” featured a gathering of the 88-liners.
For G-Dragon, fellow 1988-born celebrities Kim Soo-hyun, Lee Soo-hyuk, Im Si-wan, Hwang Kwanghee and Jung Hae-in came together, showcasing an impressive lineup.
Kim Soo-hyun asked ZE:A’s Kwanghee “Did your active years ever overlap with Ji-yong’s?”, referring to G-Dragon’s idol career.
Im Si-wan responded “Actually, our promotions overlapped a lot. But during our idol days, everything was hectic, so we just rushed around in groups”, explaining why he rarely encountered G-Dragon.
Kwanghee then bluntly added, “Back then, Ji-yong was already a star.” Im Si-wan agreed, saying, “That’s true. There was a noticeable difference between the waiting rooms used by ZE:A and BIGBANG.”
Kim Soo-hyun playfully asked “Does that hurt? Is this a painful topic?”, drawing laughter.
Later, they exchanged contact information. Kwanghee recalled, “Hey, Im Si-wan, do you remember meeting G-Dragon at music shows?”
G-Dragon then asked how many members ZE:A had. Kwanghee replied “Nine” before adding, “If I were reborn, I would train more in vocals and debut in a three-member group.“
Hearing this, G-Dragon responded “We’re not a three-member group by choice“, indirectly bringing up T.O.P and Seungri’s departures, which left everyone momentarily taken aback. Kwanghee quickly apologized, saying “That’s not what I meant“, creating an amusing moment.
Viewers and G-Dragon’s fans reacted playfully, “We never imagined we’d end up stanning a three-member BIGBANG” and “How’s that forced trio working out?”
BIGBANG debuted in 2006 as a five-member group consisting of T.O.P, G-Dragon, Taeyang, Daesung and Seungri. The group went on to release numerous hit songs like “Lies” and “Haru Haru”, cementing their position as a top idol group.
However, in 2019, Seungri became embroiled in the infamous “Burning Sun” scandal, facing charges including habitual gambling, prostitution, prostitution brokerage, violations of the Foreign Exchange Transactions Act and embezzlement. He was sentenced to 1 year and 6 months in prison and ultimately left BIGBANG, retiring from the entertainment industry altogether.
T.O.P also faced controversy in 2017 when it was revealed that he had used marijuana during his mandatory military service as a conscripted police officer. He was sentenced to 10 months in prison with a 2-year probation period. Following this, he was deemed unfit to continue his police service and was reassigned to complete his duty as a public service worker. In 2023, T.O.P officially announced his departure from BIGBANG. With both Seungri and T.O.P leaving the group, BIGBANG has since transitioned from a five-member group to a trio.