KUALA LUMPUR: Former K-pop star Jung Joon Young was released from Mokpo Prison in the South Jeolla province yesterday.
The 35-year-old South Korean had been in prison for five years for a string of sex crimes that included the group rape of an intoxicated woman and the distribution of illicitly filmed videos of sexual acts.
According to the Korean Herald, the former singer exited the prison at around 5am with a mask and hat on, and did not address any of the reporters stationed outside the prison.
Jung was implicated in a scandal in 2019, when it was discovered that he had filmed and shared sex videos without the consent of the women in them.
The sordid affair, dubbed the Burning Sun scandal, also involved former BigBang singer Seungri who was convicted of charges including soliciting of prostitution, gambling and embezzlement.
An initial claim of an assault at a high-profile nightclub in Gangnam later snowball into a series of corruption allegations involving drugs, prostitution and sexual violence linked to K-pop idols that became the talk of the town.
During the investigation, it was discovered that Jung and four of his acquaintances had raped an intoxicated a female member of Jung's fan club in 2016.
Jung was sentenced to six years in prison in 2019 but later reduced to five years by an appellate court and confirmed by the Supreme Court the following year.
He is also required to complete 80 hours in a sexual violence treatment programme and is banned from working at facilities related to minors or disabled people for five years after his release.
Allkpop reported that netizens were unhappy about his release saying that it was too short a term.
"Seeing things like this makes you wonder what kind of country we live in, where criminals are treated so leniently," commented on netizen.
Another said: "Five years passed already? He should've stayed there longer."
"People can't be fixed, he's going to start all over again," said one more netizen.
Jung rose to fame after appearing in the South Korean audition programme Superstar K4 in 2012 and the South Korean travel reality show 2 Days & 1 Night in 2013.
The singer-songwriter, actor, radio DJ and host vowed to retire from the entertainment scene after the allegations were made.