[Exclusive]Lawyer: "Seungri did not swing the soju bottle at anyone… a scuffle occurred after he refused to share a table" [Full statement]

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Former BIGBANG member Seungri denied allegations that he threatened another customer with a liquor bottle at a restaurant.

On the 23rd, Yoon Jae-bin, an attorney at the law firm Surim who serves as Seungri's legal representative, told StarNews, "As someone who caused controversy in the past, Seungri sincerely apologizes for causing concern again over this incident. However, separate from his past mistakes, since this case is being reported differently from the actual circumstances, we are compelled to explain what happened."

The lawyer explained, "Around 6 a.m. on August 8, 2026, Seungri was dining at a restaurant in Seoul with two acquaintances. At the time, a man he had never met (hereinafter referred to as the 'complainant') recognized Seungri, approached their table, and requested to join them. Despite multiple refusals, the complainant claimed he had a business proposal and did not leave his seat, eventually sitting in an empty chair without permission. Afterward, Seungri and his companions repeatedly asked the complainant to vacate the seat."

He continued, "To end the ongoing dispute, we poured him a drink and shared our contact information. However, the conversation was not resolved, and despite repeated requests for him to leave, the complainant did not comply, causing voices to be raised. In the course of this, Seungri, whose emotions were heightened, picked up a soju bottle from the table."

However, he stated, "Seungri deeply regrets his failure to control his emotions and his inappropriate behavior at the time. Nevertheless, this was merely an emotional friction resulting from the complainant's provocation; there is no fact that Seungri swung the soju bottle at the other party or used it to strike him, as the complainant claims."

The lawyer said, "After the commotion, Seungri and his companions left the restaurant together with the complainant, exchanged greetings, and parted ways in a warm atmosphere. The complainant sent a text message saying 'Let's meet next week' that morning, and another saying 'I will bring my business plan next week' that afternoon, and continued to reach out to meet afterward. However, after a few days passed, the complainant suddenly changed his attitude, contacting them with mentions of special threats and special false imprisonment, stating that he had gathered evidence and medical certificates, after which the co

mplaint was filed."

He added, "After the complaint was filed, there were contacts from the complainant's side requesting a settlement. However, Seungri determined that he could not resolve the matter by admitting to actions he did not actually commit, and decided to submit relevant materials to law enforcement authorities to clarify the facts of the case." He also conveyed that Seungri will continue to cooperate sincerely with the investigation.

On the 23rd, JTBC released CCTV footage showing Seungri holding a soju bottle toward Mr. B and kicking somewhere with his foot. Mr. B claimed, "Seungri's group initiated the confrontation by raising issues about photo taking. Seungri made threatening remarks, saying, 'Do you think I'm a loser too? There are gangsters backing me, and everything is connected; killing just one person like me is no big deal.'"

It is reported that the Seoul Gangnam Police Station received a complaint on August 26 seeking punishment for Seungri on charges of special assault and is currently investigating the case.

Meanwhile, Seungri was effectively expelled from the entertainment industry after being identified as a key figure in the so-called "Burning Sun Gate" scandal that erupted in 2018. Seungri was prosecuted on nine counts, including brokering prostitution, prostitution, violation of the Act on Special Provisions Concerning Punishment of Sexual Violence Crimes, habitual gambling, violation of the Foreign Exchange Transactions Act, violation of the Food Sanitation Act, embezzlement in the course of business, violation of the Act on Aggravated Punishments for Specific Economic Crimes, and instigation to special assault. He was ultimately sentenced to one year and six months in prison and served his sentence.

At the time, Seungri was undergoing trial while serving in the military. After his prison sentence was finalized, he was transferred to a civilian correctional facility and was released on February 9, 2023. After his release, he has been spotted in Southeast Asia and other regions.

Hello, I am Yoon Jae-bin, an attorney at the law firm Surim, serving as the legal representative for Lee Seung-hyun (stage name Seungri). I am here to clarify my client's position regarding the recently reported incident. As someone who caused controversy in the past, Seungri sincerely apologizes for causing concern again over this matter. However, separate from his past mistakes, since this case is being reported differently from the actual circumstances, we are compelled to explain what happened.

Around 6 a.m. on August 8, 2026, Seungri was dining at a restaurant in Seoul with two acquaintances. At the time, a man he had never met (hereinafter referred to as the 'complainant') recognized Seungri, approached their table, and requested to join them. Despite multiple refusals, the complainant claimed he had a business proposal and did not leave his seat, eventually sitting in an empty chair without permission. Afterward, Seungri and his companions repeatedly asked the complainant to vacate the seat.

To end the ongoing dispute, we poured him a drink and shared our contact information. However, the conversation was not resolved, and despite repeated requests for him to leave, the complainant did not comply, causing voices to be raised. In the course of this, Seungri, whose emotions were heightened, picked up a soju bottle from the table. Seungri deeply regrets his failure to control his emotions and his inappropriate behavior at the time. However, this was merely an emotional friction resulting from the complainant's provocation; there is no fact that Seungri swung the soju bottle at the other party or used it to strike him, as the complainant claims.

After the commotion, Seungri and his companions left the restaurant together with the complainant, exchanged greetings, and parted ways in a warm atmosphere. The complainant sent a text message saying "Let's meet next week" that morning, and another saying "I will bring my business plan next week" that afternoon, and continued to reach out to meet afterward. However, after a few days passed, the complainant suddenly changed his attitude, contacting them with mentions of special threats and special false imprisonment, stating that he had gathered evidence and medical certificates, after which the co

mplaint was filed.

There are parts of the complainant's claims that do not align with the facts. Seungri has never swung a soju bottle at a person or used it to strike anyone, nor has he ever said he would mobilize organized crime members to harm someone. In addition, the statements from the complainant's side and previous reports contain numerous words and actions that Seungri did not engage in.

After the complaint was filed, there were contacts from the complainant's side requesting a settlement. However, Seungri determined that he could not resolve the matter by admitting to actions he did not actually commit, and decided to submit relevant materials to law enforcement authorities to clarify the facts of the case.

I believe the judgment is for law enforcement authorities and the court to make, and Seungri will continue to cooperate sincerely with the investigation. We earnestly ask that you refrain from speculative criticism or doxxing regarding Seungri, his companions, and the complainant. Once again, I sincerely apologize for the concern caused by this incident.

the 23rd, 2026

Legal representative of Mr. Lee Seung-hyun

Law firm Surim

Attorney in charge Yoon Jae-bin

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original