'Burning Sun: The Story We Missed': An In-Depth Look at the Burning Sun Investigation [TVSPO

In 2019, the Burning Sun scandal rocked South Korea. The shock and outrage at Burning Sun Gate has been rekindled by the release of a series of documentaries about the sex crimes of K-pop stars and the release of overseas documentaries. Why are we outraged again.

"It's a place where a lot of people come and go. It's not a secluded back alley. The fact that they assaulted him like that means that they don't care about the eyes of the people around them. How many victims are there besides him?"

- MBC reporter Lee Moon-hyun, who first reported on Burning Sun Gate

The trigger for Burning Sun Gate was the case of 27-year-old Kim Sang-gyo, who was assaulted by Burning Sun officials. He was beaten indiscriminately by Burning Sun officials and called 112. However, the police officers who responded to the scene arrested the complainant and beat him in the process. A major investigation into the police organization's reputation began, revealing the true nature of drugs, sex crimes, tax evasion, and suspected police collusion in Gangnam clubs, including Burning Sun. The case of the original informant's lone assault was forgotten in the process. MBC's 'PD Notebook' takes a look at the process of the Burning Sun investigation, which was closely watched by the entire nation at the time.


■ The investigation of the first informant, which was longer than the Burning Sun investigation. Why was he treated as a liar?


On November 24, 2018, the first day he went to Burning Sun changed Kim Sang-kyo's life forever. He became a suspect in more than ten complaints against the police and the club, including obstruction of business, assault, obstruction of police, and defamation. "The police tried to make me a criminal and the most incarcerable sex offender in Korea. I think it would have been less unfair if it was one-on-one."

"They tried to make me a criminal and the most incarcerable sex offender in Korea."
- Kim Sang-gyo, the first Burning Sun informant

Kim Sang-gyo, who demanded a police investigation into the assault and was later accused of sexual misconduct. The women were either employees of the Burning Sun Club or acquaintances of the club. The police investigation went in a completely different direction than Mr. Kim's wishes. Why did the investigation go so wrong? We go back to the beginning of Burning Sun Gate and review the allegations made by Kim Sang-kyo.


■ Why did the victims of the GHB sexual assault go after the perpetrators themselves? ... My feeling was just, 'Let's settle on an answer and investigate.'"
- Ms. Lee Min-jung (pseudonym)

Ms. Lee Min-jung (pseudonym) was the first victim of GHB drug sexual assault at Burning Sun to come forward. Despite her courageous report, the perpetrator has not been punished for five years. The perpetrator is still a successful businessman in Thailand with a red notice from Interpol, and the victim has been suffering for five years. Why did the Gangnam Police Department fail to properly investigate the sexual assault perpetrator.

"PD's Notebook" revisits the Burning Sun case by looking at the 180-degree difference in the investigations of the two cases that happened at Burning Sun around the same time.

MBC's "PD's Notebook" airs on Tuesday, July 2 at 9 p.m.