K-pop star G-Dragon says ‘no truth’ to claims he took drugs, amid South Korea crackdown
- A series of arrests in recent months, including chaebol heirs and celebrities, on drug charges have prompted authorities to step up a crackdown
- South Korea has tough drug laws, and such crimes are punishable by at least six months in prison or up to 14 years for repeat offenders and dealers
The former frontman for the K-pop band BigBang, known as G-Dragon, appeared for police questioning on Monday over allegations of illegal drug use, the latest in a string of South Korean artists embroiled in high-profile narcotics cases.
After the allegations in late October, shares of some K-pop agencies, including Kwon’s former agent YG Entertainment, fell, though they have since rebounded.
Kwon, 35, stood briefly for the media before entering a police station in Incheon where the star of the Oscar-winning film “Parasite”, Lee Sun-kyun, was also questioned over the weekend on a separate allegation of illegal drug use.
Kwon, dressed in a dark suit, denied any wrongdoing and said he had come to clear any suspicion against him.
“There is no truth to [the accusation of] illegal drug-related crime,” he said when asked whether he abused illegal drugs.
Lee declined to answer questions about drug use as he left the police station on Saturday, only saying he answered all the questions asked by police to the best of his knowledge.
