'Burning Sun' Seungri's Business Partner Yoo In-seok Sentenced to Probation for 'Procuring Prostitution and Embezzlement'... Appeal Withdrawn

On May 14, 2019, Yoo In-seok, former CEO of Yuri Holdings and business partner of former Big Bang member Seungri, who is accused of violating the Act on the Punishment of Acts of Arranging Sexual Commercial Transactions, embezzlement under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes, and violations of the Food Sanitation Act, is entering the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul, to attend a pre-trial detention hearing (warrant review).
Photo by Moon Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Seok-jin] Yoo In-seok, former CEO of Yuri Holdings, who was indicted along with former Big Bang member Seungri (real name Lee Seung-hyun) on charges related to the club 'Burning Sun,' withdrew his appeal, confirming the suspended sentence handed down in the first trial.

According to the legal community on the 5th, Yoo submitted a withdrawal of appeal to the appellate court, the Seoul High Court Criminal Division 5 (Presiding Judges Yoon Kang-yeol, Park Jae-young, Kim Sang-chul), on the 26th of last month. Since the prosecution did not appeal, the first trial verdict against Yoo is automatically finalized.

Yoo was tried along with singer Seungri on charges of mediating prostitution to foreign investors from 2015 to 2016 (violation of the Act on the Punishment of Acts of Arranging Sexual Traffic) and embezzlement in violation of the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes, among other charges. In December of last year, he was sentenced in the first trial to 1 year and 8 months in prison with a 3-year suspended sentence.

At that time, the court stated, "The defendant admits all the charges," and judged, "There is sufficient confession and evidence, so all charges are guilty."

It further explained the sentencing rationale, saying, "Regarding the embezzlement charge, consideration was given to the fact that dividends were returned to the victim company and a settlement was reached."

Meanwhile, Seungri, who was indicted alongside Yoo on charges including mediating prostitution, enlisted in the military in March last year, and the case was transferred to the military court.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.