There's more to the glossy world of K-pop than horse dancing and pretty girls.
To get you up to speed on K-pop's seedy side, we've ranked the scene's biggest scandals, from the silliest to the most serious.
G-Dragon “Accidentally” Smokes Weed
South Korea ranks No. 1 in the world for hard liquor consumption, and it's not unusual to see K-pop stars boasting on TV about getting bombed. But drug use of any kind is completely verboten. A lesser star than Big Bang's G-Dragon might have been jailed for smoking pot, but after he tested positive for marijuana use late last year, the rapper offered up the least likely excuse for toking up since Bill Clinton said he didn't inhale: According to GD, he accepted what he thought was a “strong cigarette” from a stranger at an after-party, and was just too drunk to realize that it was actually a blunt.
Boy Band Stars Deny Love
Sadly enough, gayness is still controversial in K-pop. There's been speculation about the sexuality of charismatic 2AM leader Jo-Kwon since the boy band debuted in 2008. His Newlyweds-style reality series We Got Married helped quiet the rumors—until 2010, when netizens dug up a series of poignant old love messages in which Kwonnie and U-Kiss member Soohyun professed their love and desires to “eat,” “sleep,” “live,” and “lay” together. Jo-Kwon denied everything and claimed that the two men were just close friends. Soohyun, meanwhile, jokingly thanked his buddy for all the publicity brought on by the scandal.
SeeYa's Nam Gyuri Covers Beyonce With Uncovered Breast
When Nam Gyuri of the then-popular girl group SeeYa let her breast hang out during a vigorous 2006 performance of Beyonce's “Crazy In Love,” the result was less dramatic than Janet Jackson's infamous wardrobe malfunction from two years before. (In a way, the act was also less coy.) The nipple slip left Gyuri in tears and her name in the headlines for months. But the incident also served her better than Jackson's did: Gyuri dramatically increased her public profile, cemented her status as SeeYa's main star and charted a path to becoming a successful actress.
Seungri's Kinky Sexcapades Exposed
In September a mystery female spilled the beans to a Japanese tabloid about her one night stand with Big Bang's maknae, Seungri. In the article—which ran alongside photos of a post-coital Seungri curled up asleep in a hotel bed—the woman claimed the star choked her during sex, flouted some basic etiquette and never kissed her the entire time. Once the scandal broke, Seungri briefly stepped out of the spotlight for “self-reflection”, die-hard fans argued that the photos had been doctored, and everything eventually returned to normal.
Lee Hyori's Producer Rips Off Jason DeRulo
K-pop princess Lee Hyori quit promoting her 2010 album H-Logic shortly after its release when it was discovered that producer Bahnus had plagiarized seven of the tracks from artists including “Whatcha Say” singer Jason DeRulo. Hyori claimed she was duped by Bahnus, who was later fined $255,000 and thrown in jail. Still, nothing could offset the damage done to Hyori's reputation. The superstar and sex symbol once voted “the Beyonce of K-pop” hasn't released an album since, and instead worked on her image with charity work and safe TV gigs.
Ivy Tangled in Trouble
K-diva Ivy can't seem to escape scandal. In 2007, the video for her hit “Sonata of Temptation” was banned for plagiarizing a fight scene from Final Fantasy VII (pictured)—a mere hint of trouble to come. Later that year, the media discovered that Ivy's ex-boyfriend had tried to blackmail her with a sex tape and nude photos. The disgruntled ex was arrested, but (much to the dismay of Ivy's male fans) the tape and photos never surfaced. Soon after, rumors spread that Ivy had been two-timing popular R&B singer Wheesung. Then, in 2009, her comeback single “Touch Me” (written by Psy) was banned for its sexual content. Fans were ready to believe anything when a sex clip said to feature the singer leaked in 2010, although it was later found that the woman in the video was a Chinese non-celebrity. Ivy didn't return with new music until this year.
Kara Plays Chicken With Their Label
Many of K-pop's biggest controversies stem from disputes between idols and their labels—hardly a surprise considering the strict rules Korean trainees and idols have to adhere to, and the so-called “slave” contracts they're often bound to. Fearful of lawsuits and bad publicity, few idols try to break them. So it was a shock when, early last year, superstar girl group Kara filed a suit against their label, DSP Media, to have their contracts terminated. The girls cited mismanagement, an overloaded work schedule, and issues with their pay—all claims that DSP denied. Everyone from record execs and other artists to union members and fans had something to say about the headline-grabbing scandal, and for a while, it looked like one of Asia's biggest groups was done for. But after four months, the dispute was finally resolved. Kara rejoined DSP, and after seeing their album sales spike from all the publicity the scandal generated, they returned to the charts bigger and better than ever.
Daesung Runs Over Motorcyclist
In May, Big Bang's Daesung accidentally ran over a motorcyclist—already lying in the road after wiping out—while reportedly driving 12 mph over the speed limit. It was unclear whether the man died due to his crash or Daesung hitting him. Police decided there wasn't enough evidence to charge Daesung, and he settled with the victim's family for an undisclosed sum. He then took a few months off for “self-reflection.” In March of this year, Daesung made a massive comeback with Big Bang's release of Alive, the first Korean album to crack the Billboard 200.
Read more at Popdust.