PUBLISHED ONMay 20, 2024 4:46 AMByDrima ChakrabortyThe late K-pop singer Goo Hara was battling molka — a Korean term referring to illegal filming or sharing of sex photos and videos — of her own when she lent aid to reporters investigating the Burning Sun nightclub scandal.
A new investigative documentary by the BBC published yesterday (May 19) delves into the 2019 case through the lens of two female journalists — Kang Kyung-yoon and Park Hyo-sil — who reported on it.
Hara, Kang revealed, was instrumental in discovering the name of a police officer who was helping the celebrities involved in the scandal.
The documentary focused on former BigBang member Seungri, who was convicted of nine charges including abetting prostitution and embezzlement, and singer-songwriter Jung Joon-young and former FTIsland guitarist Choi Jong-hoon who were convicted for gang-raping drunk and unconscious women.
A data leak from Joon-young's phone showed chatrooms in which the celebrities would share molka and engage in abetting prostitutes for investors and Burning Sun's VIPs, but the biggest mystery according to Kang was discovering the identity of a senior police official nicknamed the "Police Prosecutor General" who was helping them.
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"Then Hara appeared and opened the door for me," Kang said, explaining Hara contacted her out of the blue one day.
She added: "Hara and Jong-hoon had been close since their debut, and she also knew Seungri and Joon-young.
"She told me that, because she was friends with them, she'd seen them on their mobile phones before and said, 'They've got some really weird things on there. What you said was right'."
Hara called Jong-hoon and asked him to disclose the identity of the police official to Kang.
Hara's brother, Goo Ho-in, added in the documentary: "When Hara spoke to Jong-hoon on speakerphone, I was listening next to her. She said, 'I can help you. Tell this reporter everything that you know'."
Jong-hoon told Kang the "Police Prosecutor General" was a police officer named Yoon Kyu-keun who had also worked at the presidential residence, and Kang recorded their call as evidence.
"Hara helped Jong-hoon to admit it," Kang added. "She was a very brave woman. She also said to me, 'I am also a victim of revenge porn'."
A year prior to the Burning Sun scandal, Hara had been battling an ex-boyfriend, hairstylist Choi Jong-bum (no relation to Jong-hoon), in court after he threatened to release intimate photos of her.
Goo said in the documentary: "I remember he threatened her, saying, 'I will end your celebrity career'. My sister had become the singer she'd always dreamed she could be and was worried she'd lose everything.
"She was scared this would go public. She was on her knees, begging him not to do it."
The documentary showed footage of Choi entering a lift as Hara kneels outside.
"On that CCTV, seeing that top star who had shone on stage kneeling before a man and begging him not to publish them made my heart break," Kang said.
Choi eventually served a year in prison for assault and blackmailing Hara, but not before the singer took her life at 28 in November 2019, a month after the suicide of her close friend, K-pop star Sulli.
Kang was concerned about Hara's erratic behaviour on Instagram Live following Sulli's death.
She said: "I was detecting huge danger, so I sent her a text, 'Hara, you're such a brave woman and so admirable. I want you to be happy'," to which Hara responded, 'Hello reporter, I'm okay. Yes, I'll stay strong'."
Nevertheless, Goo recalled how Hara posted one last Instagram photo of herself with the simple caption, "Goodnight", on Nov 23, 2019, a day before her death.
[embed]https://www.instagram.com/p/B5LVadAFvWC/?hl=en[/embed]
"After my sister's funeral, we came home and my wife revealed she was pregnant," he said, visibly holding back his emotions. "My sister grew up under our paternal aunt, so I think she wanted to become an aunt too.
"I cried so much on my own then, I was so sad. If she'd just waited a few more days, if she hadn't made that choice, she'd have become an aunt."
The segment ends with Goo, with his daughter in his arms, walking into a memorial room for Hara.
All around are cards, notes and bouquets left for Hara, and a large banner with her face stands by the doorway.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9EEp1q_iMYc&ab_channel=BBCWorldService[/embed]
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drimac@asiaone.com
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