Ex-BIGBANG member Seungri denies assault claims

Seungri, a former member of BIGBANG, has denied allegations of aggravated assault after a man in his 30s filed a criminal complaint against him.

Recounting the event, Seungri explained that he was dining with two friends when an intoxicated man approached and asked to join their table.

An argument broke out after Seungri turned him down. While he acknowledged holding a liquor bottle during the dispute to emphasize that he wanted to be left alone, he firmly denied swinging it or using it to threaten the man.

"It is true that I held a liquor bottle while telling him that I did not want him to join us, but I did not swing it or threaten him," Seungri said, as per Korea Herald.

According to Seungri, the confrontation resolved peacefully before they parted ways, with the two even exchanging phone numbers. Hours later, the man sent him a text message mentioning plans to bring a business proposal the following week.

Seungri has since secured surveillance footage and witness statements to support his account and expressed full willingness to cooperate with the police investigation.

The alleged incident took place at a restaurant in Gangnam on Aug. 26. In response to the claims, Seungri stated that he is currently considering filing a countercomplaint.

Seungri left BIGBANG in 2019 amid the prostitution and gambling allegations, deemed as one of the biggest scandals in the South Korean entertainment industry.

In January 2020, he was charged for a number of crimes, including embezzlement, providing prostitutes to foreigners, illegal overseas gambling, spreading illegally filmed sex videos, and assault, and was sent to prison.

He was released from the Yeoju Prison in Gyeonggi Province in February 2023, after being jailed for a total of one year and six months. 

Meanwhile, BIGBANG is set to bring their 20th-anniversary world tour, "XX: COSMOS" to Manila in February 2027.