BBC Docu ‘Burning Sun’ Peels Back K-pop’s Darker Layers
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South Korea has a specific word for illegally filmed footage, usually sexual in nature – “Molka”, simply because a lot of women have been victim to men blackmailing them over photos/videos shot without their consent to get away with various crimes. BBC documentary “Burning Sun: Exposing the secret K-pop chat groups” revisits how journalists broke the shocking story of how some popular K-pop idols were part of a secret chat group, where they would share details, videos, and photos of women they had sexually assaulted.
About one hour long, the documentary opens with a snazzy video of a K-pop song featuring Seungri, formerly a member of “BigBang,” a highly popular boy band. The scene then shifts to an abandoned building, once the premises of “Burning Sun,” one of the largest clubs in Seoul’s Gangnam district, owned by Seungri. It’s revealed that women visitors at the club were often drugged and then sent to “VIP” clients, who would then rape them. However, K-pop idols Seungri, Jung Joon-young, and their friends had been sexually exploiting and abusing women long before “Burning Sun” was established. The men shared sordid details of their crimes on a secret chat group, along with photos and videos of their victims, who’d often be unconscious.
Korean journalists Kang Kyung-yoon and Park Hyu-Sil, both women, guide viewers through their investigation into the exposure of Seungri, Jung Joon-young, and how they got away with their crimes for far too long courtesy the collusion of the police in the case. A lot of never-seen-before chats excerpts from the group are featured in the documentary, all damning evidence of not just the crime, but also the lurid joy these men took is abusing their victims.
Produced and directed by Kai Lawrence, “Burning Sun: Exposing the Secret K-pop Chat Groups” lives up to its name by swiftly demystifying the glamorous facade of the Korean music industry. Singers like Seungri and Jung Joon-young conceal their predatory nature under layers of makeup, glitter, and fake “soft-boy” personas. Both Kang Kyung-yoon and Park Hyu-Sil, faced severe online backlash from fans who refused to believe the news stories initially, but the journalists didn’t back down from their reportage.
This “Burning Sun” documentary not only exposes a handful of successful singers blatantly misusing their influence and clout but also serves as a distressing reminder of the skewed justice system that often puts victims at a disadvantage. Women in Korea have been demanding stricter laws and punishment against men who record sexual videos without their consent, against “molka” as they’d say, but it’s still a matter of ongoing debate in the country. Watch the documentary on YouTube.
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