On February 9, 2023, Lee Seung-hyun, famously known as former BIGBANG member Seungri, has been officially released from prison. This was confirmed by an official from the Ministry of Justice, stating that the former BIGBANG member had been allowed to leave Yeoju Correctional Institution.
Earlier media reports said that he was set to be released from prison on February 11, 2023, however officials confirmed that Seungri was indeed to be released on February 9th.
On August 12, 2021, the South Korean High Military Court had found Seungri guilty of all the charges laid against him from the Burning Sun issue and sentenced the former BIGBANG member to 3 years of imprisonment and a fine of 1.5 billion won (US$ 970,000). His sentence was reduced to 18 months after he had admitted his guilt on January 27, 2022.
VIPs have been celebrating the news on social media, trending the hashtags #SeungrisRealStory and #SeungriWeWaited.
https://twitter.com/malibu1939/status/1623616834409836546?s=20&t=bamCwimz9r4Ix_4XdampWw
Seungri has 0 victims. NO person of any gender has filled a criminal complaint against him. NONE of his charges are about SA or molka. Media mixed 3 different cases and made him the face of everything for clicks. The real criminals are walking free.#SeungrisRealStory pic.twitter.com/bYsQ4GwIQP
— K.💗 BIGBANG is 5 (@kathryn_en) February 9, 2023
Thread about Seungri's 2019-2023.
I STAND WITH SEUNGRI #SeungriWeWaited#SeungrisRealStory pic.twitter.com/pxh2z60oVJ
— 𝓥𝓮𝓵𝓿𝓮𝓽 ♡ (@Velvetsworld) February 9, 2023
https://twitter.com/malibu1939/status/1623598639850442753?s=20&t=bamCwimz9r4Ix_4XdampWw
Warm reaction from japanese fans 🤗
Welcome home Lee Seungri 🙏 pic.twitter.com/9OxrsLZQH4
— Cho- JOYOFLIFE2 ERA (@ChoLovesGD2) February 9, 2023
https://twitter.com/ForVictoRi_VVIP/status/1623586568333139970?s=20&t=bamCwimz9r4Ix_4XdampWw
SOMEBODY TELL HIM I WAITED FOR HIM
IM BAWLINGI STAND WITH SEUNGRI #SeungriWeWaited#SeungrisRealStory pic.twitter.com/oygXH7Tnev
— BIGBANG Africa (@BIGBANGAfrica1) February 9, 2023
Welcome back Lee Seunghyun..rest well in the arms of your family..don’t be sad we’re still here..always love you 💙
I STAND WITH SEUNGRI #seungrisrealstory #SeungriWeWaited pic.twitter.com/8hzJg9o4qe
— 🍀Lyna🍀LSH (@lynariri91) February 9, 2023
Also,the "reporter" who "reported" Seungri's case knew who the actual perpetrators were but kept their names under wraps because it wasn't "big news". She knew Jung Joon Young and his friends were video taping girls for two years. She lied on Seungri for her career. And knew it. https://t.co/lDHShSBvLE
— PunkPrincess (@SuperUkissBang) February 6, 2023
Seungri has been cleared from MOLKA chat cases; Singer Lee in those chats was Lee Jonghyun from CNBLUE & for your kind information,reporter Kang knew who the actual perpetrators were but kept their names under wraps for 2 years because it wasn't big news on that time https://t.co/IsPVGFP7JL pic.twitter.com/9dW1CgPfq1
— ✨ (@seyonaras) February 8, 2023
Other K-pop fans, however, weren’t as happy with the former member of one of YG’s most popular groups being released.
and yet his stans still say he was innocent 😭 but also LOCK HIM BACK UP!!
— alex⁷ 🤍 TTPD (@percyseas) February 6, 2023
the fact that people get a longer sentence for smoking weed over there… yikes
— Tan⁷🍉 (@yo0nterlude_) February 6, 2023
with seungri being released this week, if i see anyone on my tl defending that man or celebrating his return i will block and report you bc wtf
— larissa ◡̈ (@nyukyutie) February 7, 2023
https://twitter.com/crabjunie/status/1623684246459260929?s=20&t=bamCwimz9r4Ix_4XdampWw
Victims didn’t get full justice. He should have been locked forever.
— Mai (@iammaizeeey2) February 9, 2023
https://twitter.com/Afro_Hope/status/1623689088753668098?s=20&t=bamCwimz9r4Ix_4XdampWw
this guy and yg needs to go back to jail and stay away from business 🤬
— bernice | 🫧🍀catnipz month (@soyamoyas) February 9, 2023
https://twitter.com/e_gg_tart/status/1623135320517619713?s=20&t=bamCwimz9r4Ix_4XdampWw
Seungri’s “quiet” departure from Yeoju Correctional Institution was said to avoid the media from hounding the former idol with questions regarding the already concluded issue.
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