In South Korea, K-pop stars have fame, fortune and millions of female fans.
But some led a double life, a hidden world where videos of women being drugged, raped was shared.
had secret messages between them not been leaked.
This is the story of those who tried to bring them to justice.
I decided that I'd still need something new
for a I was doing well but I also it that and don't really need to be bothered any of mages' because I'm longer penicillin.
I to say this, but I know how but how to We have a do this.
We lot of to do We of to The fuse that ignited this scandal was a K-pop star caught secretly filming a woman,
It's a good time to talk about it,
but it's a good to It's a it's a good time to talk about It's a to talk about it,
a time to about but it's to talk about it.
if I'm going to and that's why I'm going show a bit going on here.
and the people who were the the people who were in the were in the Jung had risen to fame as a singer-songwriter,
self-releasing love ballads like Amy.
He had an edgier image than the typical K-pop star.
He was critically acclaimed and hugely popular with female fans.
in Palerina's life and being opportunity to and otherwise, will come.
It is much more important than I don't know how it works, important.
listening to the song, please leave me a comment.
Two days later, Jung is questioned by the police.
If you have a good time to work in anything can't get it from Because if you it's a fashion.
I'm not ready to go the I'm gonna it a station.
I'm gonna the phone is with a forensics lab, the police asked for a report rather than looking at the phone themselves.
I'm not to that I'm terrible at it.
A recording of Jung's lawyer putting pressure on the forensic lab.
Jung is also a star in a national TV show two days and one night on Channel KBS.
A representing the channel contest Jung's accuser, Kyung Mi.
I hope you enjoyed this video, and I'll see you next week.
I don't think it's going to be too
but I don't think it's going to be Kyung Mi issues a public statement saying Jung had done nothing wrong and apologizing to him.
Jung's agency hastily calls a press conference to clear his name.
We really need to give it to them.
So I don't think I like about this bill.
I would like to thank you very much attention.
Thank very I was able to talk to but I was able talk to them,
and I was able to talk to I was to talk to Jung's phone is never checked by the police,
and he thinks he is in the clear.
What he didn't know is that a carbon copy had been made of his phone data.
Three years later, someone with access to the data decides to leak it.
It eventually reaches journalist.
Jung's phone data showed he was in a chat group with male friends on popular messenger app Kakao Talk.
So, I'm to show you a little going on here.
I'm going show you going on here.
I'm going show what's going The video of Kyung Mi wasn't there,
but Kang did find many other videos of Zhong with women, and began to recognize other famous faces too.
This video shows Zhong encouraging a girl to drink alcohol with his fellow K-pop star, chair Zhong Han.
He played lead guitar and was given centre stage in their stadium concerts.
I'm not I'm going to be you about this
I'm not I'm going be able to you about this The biggest celebrity in the chat group was Megastar Sun Li.
He had become famous in the K-pop supergroup Big Bang, and also had a solo career.
Branding himself the Jay Gatsby of Korea, his party lifestyle was recorded in slick promo videos.
I'm so you so to have you.
Do wish the you met your friends friends.
love to you back in the next year.
Kang begins going through the Kakao talk messages chronologically, tracking the secret life of the celebrity friends.
The data starts in late 2015 as Sun Li hosts a series of parties to celebrate his birthday.
Sun Li has invited potential business partners and warns Zhong to be on his best behavior.
Thank you so much for watching, will you in video.
I to say, but I don't to say.
In the the city has been a A month later, Jung, Cher and four other chat group members go skiing in a resort near Seoul.
This promotional film shows off the five star film It's in Kakao talk messages from this trip that Kang sees evidence of serious sexual assault.
When we become very involved in China, there's a lot more But so ago, I we heard a lot the Thanks watching!
a of Song Li uploads a video to the chat group to share with Song Li who was not on trip.
The images appear to show the rape of unconscious women.
by another chat group member, a friend of Jung and Che.
I don't know what to with it.
I know what to with but don't know what to I think that's why I'm so happy be I hope you in the next video.
I hope see you the next video.
The woman had been gang raped by Jungkook.
with other friends and members of the chat group present.
If you like, please in the I enjoy life.
Thank you for the That's if you have time video,
you can watch please help I'm so to be here very much for being thank you so much.
As Kang trolls further through the Kakao talk messages, she finds clues as to why this group felt above the law.
In the and the won't enough, but that's got severe pressure For somebody because we're DONores.
I'm not I for The friends share this video of Song Li, with a woman at a party.
Song Li's membership of one of the biggest K-pop groups, Big Bang.
gives him enormous I'm not I can it.
So you don't have to worry with police and investors to become a major player in the lucrative business of Gangnam Nightclubs.
According to the Kakao Chats, someone named the police prosecutor general is helping protect their businesses.
Soon Li, partners with a rich businessman from the chat group, and gets his famous friends involved.
And I started see the Within days of the opening, Jung was recording Mulka on the premises.
sharing it in a direct message with another friend.
It's at this point in time, August 2016, that Jung's phone data ends.
As victim, Kyung Mi makes her initial complaint of Mulco, and he gives his phone to the forensic lab.
But the police don't check his messages, and he's exonerated.
Park, who first reported on Zhong's case, is attacked by his fans, and men calling themselves anti-feminist.
The Park, who was attacked by his is attacked by his fans.
And there's nothing to this.
heard that this is I've heard that this is hard to would hard to do.
The only thing I can do keep room.
I think I'm going have a number of have a number of Thank very much.
I'm not my least, I have a fun.
The friends' ambitions continue unchecked.
It's long time ago, honey.
Song Li does a lucrative deal to become the face of Tinder in South Korea.
And he plans his boldest business venture yet, to launch the biggest club in Gangnam.
But as director, he will need investors.
In December 2017, he hires an island in the Philippines for his birthday party.
Of course the Oh yes let's go back and let's work.
The club was located in the Meridian Hotel in Gangnam, now derelict.
When it opened, burning sun was the most prestigious nightclub in South Korea.
Former employees spoke to us on the condition we concealed their identities.
They were MDs, short for merchandisers, who would make sure there were girls in the club.
I'm go and go to the I'm going to go the and to the I don't know what do next to me, though.
I'm not sure if I'm going to able to do this.
I'm not sure if I'm to be able I'm I'm I what to but to what to If you this video,
please like subscribe my I you in Ko Un Sang is a reporter who was one of the first to investigate burning sun.
I'm not I I'm not sure I in there,
I'm not I know what sure to I'm about what to Thank you very much for joining us today and will see you in video.
to communicate throughout the club.
I'm so glad came I was so glad that you that here.
Thank you very much watching, and see in the video.
Thankfully, I that a at home.
As I was there, I VIP club, I was in I about team.
I was VIP club, I I was a young woman, who a regular guest at Burning Sun, agree to speak to us about her experiences.
We are protecting her identity.
in the She found herself in a hotel with a man This was my stomach and it was very raining.
I asked go the you very So I said, well, you forest.
I did not have to There was a long time ago, I a long time ago my wife and my mother.
I was like, on what I have don't have to worry.
I be able that decision her.
I am going make of the game and it's I don't think I'm doing it again.
I'm not not think I'm make it Thank you and I hope see you again in a I wish you the best of luck.
I wish you all a great guy in my life, next week.
Did you ever have for our group?
Did you have for the You didn't.
She goes to the police to report rape.
The man claims they had consensual sex using the photo as evidence.
He was allowed to leave Korea.
I think that we do something The reason why we is because of the fact that person.
I've been to the end of more than I'm I think I'm a person.
In January 2019, Song Li's empire is dealt a public blow.
A customer at Burning Sun makes allegations he'd been beaten up by club staff, and that police had stood by.
CCTV from outside the club shows him being beaten in the street.
The world of the is but the not So I the world of the and it's I You know,
in moment, the world is the same.
CCTV footage emerges of a woman being dragged from the club by staff.
In it is thing I you is that you are one who is only one who is the only one one.
a shocking case of Molco Surfaces, filmed inside Burning Sun and known as the Red Bathroom It goes viral on porn sites.
I think it's a great way go.
I it's a to I think to I think it's to Under pressure from the police and the media,
the management of burning sun are forced into a Sun Li pauses a solo concert to make a statement to his fans.
I'm looking for my information,
what see but still looking the but I'm not a real person,
but I'm trying think that I know what to do with my which will with my IPAP,
And I want to about I don't want to be here But I want to here.
I want to here a little longer.
Kang knows the phone data from the informant,
which incriminates Sun Li, and could now become a huge Why should I say I I'm not sure.
I'm not I'm I'm not sure.
no, no, I used a of money, but a you can't make
thing that And my very From the beginning, Kang then talks to her employers, SBS, a leading Korean broadcaster.
They agree she'll begin by publishing a story on Sun Li, citing evidence from an unnamed celebrity's phone.
and showing he procured prostitutes for investors in clubs.
I'm not if it's going but if going to happen, it's not going to happen.
He's interrogated for almost nine hours.
There is now huge speculation about which celebrities phoned the evidence was from.
But Kang is still trying to corroborate other key evidence.
The messages that imply the stars have a senior police contact She was a successful solo artist and a member of K-pop band Cara.
She was famous beyond career.
Recording hits like wild in Japanese.
Her image was street-wise and independent.
I'm not I'm I'm going to it again.
I'm not sure do it again.
I'm not sure if I'm going to it again.
not I'm do it When the I think it's a thing to do lot of people.
I a very important to do with a lot of people.
And the other thing that a of think we together.
And we want to what's going here.
I'm not sure if I'm make video
I'm not sure I'm be able to video about this Kang records the phone conversation she has with chair.
She asks him to identify the officer referred to as the police prosecutor general in the messages.
It's different than people who the world.
Yes, they A During this situation, it was was ago.
It's been a time a I I'm so be here and world.
had been a victim of Mulca the previous year.
She had reported her boyfriend the police for threatening to release intimate photos of her.
I was not sure that I was going be further.
But I also I lot of life in my life.
The security footage from Hara's building goes viral, showing her boyfriend in the lift, and Hara apparently begging him not to publish the photos.
I think going to I think it's going to it's going to happen.
Horror's boyfriend was eventually convicted for assault and blackmail.
Now, Hara had given Kang what she needed for her investigation.
Within 48 hours, Kang publishes investigation.
I'm I've ever seen I'm not sure it's the time to on.
I'm the who has a friend who the United States.
not I've seen anything on the other side have been in States for time.
I'm not If a character you can't remember Then you have an adult.
If can't, then have to him.
That's why the all And it's just so beautiful.
I am not sure I be I I be And I am doing.
like in the beginning day,
that it's not because remember when I younger,
I I I know a of that that that they they can things for So,
when I this, I am not I I I I be able do anything.
We have to the They are to be here.
Listen to need to It's going I it's going be a long time ago, but think it's going time ago.
He launches a court case against Jung, Cher and others in the group for Mulca and Rey.
As more arrests are made, the scandal is becoming increasingly divisive, stoking careers tense gender politics.
Women hold a series of protests calling for the police to do more to protect them.
We use them we we we we use use them directly,
directly, directly, we use use them directly, we use directly,
use directly, we use them directly, we them directly, we we we we we use we Some men claim they're being unfairly targeted by feminists.
I to say, I'm not going do it.
Since publishing the stories, Kang has been heavily trolled.
When I was reading thought it, only was German.
I maybe I was a person, and I thought, I thought, I thought, I Have a good day.
I don't know if it's going going to Her close friend,
Sully, another K-pop star who had spoken up for feminism in Korea, has just taken her own life.
The only reason why I prefer an Driver was when you was so happy been friends years, so I decided I any...
to have any I felt in the When you are in car...
you see That's in my character.
I don't know if I'm this or but I don't know if I'm or know if I can't see anyone's news,
but I They are just-doo-doo.
They're oh They're super cute, and Oh, that's it, it interesting time, but the end of it was a really good time.
it's like, it's good time, but in military, it's interesting time.
I think the but in military, you're gonna then, Thank you very much watching, and see you in next video.
I don't what to but don't know to but I don't know what to I think we'll be able to explore.
And in this situation, we will be able to all of our lives.
the only way to the is of our to explore all of
I've never seen bad situation in the I've never situation in the U 5 days after Hara's death,
the court sentences Jung to 6 years for the gang rape in Daegu, and for taking and distributing Mulca.
The fact that have a of people been living
that I am very happy I have been living in the for and for The only way to it is to to you.
It's not to be just the opportunity that the.S.
Is try to strengthen things.
The chair is sentenced to two-and-a-half years for his part in the Daegu-Gangry.
Senior Inspector Yoon, the president The general the chat was acquitted of all charges related to the chat group members.
Song Li is convicted of obtaining prostitutes for investors, embezzlement, mulke and inciting violence.
He was sentenced to 18 months on appeal.
Despite the convictions of such high-profile K-pop stars, former club staff tell us little has changed in Gangnam.
to you that when here, been here lot.
I can't believe I'm here.
Some women from the burning sun scandal never made it to court.
I am not sure if I the or I will speak you about it, and I will see in the video.
I will speak to I will listen to you.
If you have a heartache, you You feel like you here?
Three years later, Kang is still being told for her role in exposing the crimes of the three K-pop stars.
I would like some this with you.
is a game made of a that was created that hard me.
my I'm sure with of I think that it's the time I've broken,
that time That's made for up the But I think why of people today.
It's like the 70s, the the 70s, the the 70s, the 70s, the 70s.
In of are still world, and have no happening in the I am here, and I am here with you.
I am happy to be here, and I am here.