G-Dragon Steps Forward Personally... Emphasizes Innocence: "If Drugs Are Detected, That Would Be Something Else"

Yonhap News TV Exclusive Interview "Upset About Drug Involvement"
Denies Connection Between Entertainment Venue Manager and Doctor Supplying Drugs
Regarding Criticism on Tone, Says "Took Time to Be Careful"

Singer Kwon Ji-yong (35, known as G-Dragon), who was investigated by the police on drug charges, once again asserted his innocence and directly addressed the suspicions surrounding him.

On the 13th, G-Dragon, in an exclusive interview with Yonhap News TV's 'News Prime,' said, "I decided to courageously do this interview to clearly convey my innocence and the correct facts to the public," and firmly stated, "I did not use (drugs)."

Earlier, G-Dragon voluntarily appeared at the police station on the 6th for his first investigation, and a rapid drug test conducted that day came back negative. When asked about his expectations for the pending detailed test results, G-Dragon replied, "Of course, it should be negative." He added, "Because, to reiterate, I have never used drugs nor exchanged them with anyone, so if drug substances were detected in my body, that would be even stranger."

Singer Kwon Ji-yong (35, G-Dragon) [Image source=Yonhap News]

Regarding the reason for voluntarily appearing at the police station, he explained, "First of all, I know myself best," and said, "Since I did not use drugs, I am not related to the drug crime charges, so I voluntarily appeared to prove my innocence as soon as possible."

At the time, some criticized his relaxed demeanor, such as stretching during interviews with reporters, as being mocking. In response, G-Dragon said, "Honestly, I was a bit overwhelmed and nervous because I am human," and added, "It might have appeared that way, but that is not true at all. It is completely different from my intention."

He continued, "Rather, I am worried that malicious articles using indiscriminate terms like 'mocking' might cause misunderstanding and inconvenience to the police officers who are working day and night on the investigation in South Korea," and said, "I hope people do not misunderstand."

He also denied any connection with the entertainment venue manager and the doctor known as the drug supplier, who are linked to the drug use allegations. G-Dragon emphasized, "(I have) no relationship with those two. To reiterate, I have no factual connection to any of the allegations related to this drug crime."

Regarding reports that the doctor supplied drugs, he said, "If that is based on the doctor's statement, I have nothing to say, but I have never received anything and do not even know who that doctor is. In fact, I am curious to know."

Concerning the entertainment venue manager's statement to the police that "G-Dragon visited the venue in early December last year, found suspicious packaging in the restroom, and his behavior afterward was strange," he responded, "I have no way to explain that. I think it is the manager's behavior that seems strange."

He added, "From what I know through the media, I do not know who that person is, who the manager is, or whether my actions are true... Because, to my knowledge, the manager has a prior drug conviction, so I also doubt the credibility of that person's statement."

Regarding the suspicion of attempting to destroy evidence through "full-body hair removal," he said, "The article titled 'full-body hair removal' is completely untrue." He explained, "Since last year's album activities, I have not bleached or dyed my hair for over a year and a half. Most importantly, at the time of voluntarily appearing, even though the police did not have warrants for communication or body searches, I voluntarily submitted hair, fingernails, and toenails to prove my innocence as soon as possible."

He continued, "I feel that the core, the main point, and the essential context of this case are gradually being deviated from," and said, "I don't know why other suspicions or misunderstandings are growing, but the important thing is whether I used drugs or not, and I am currently proving that and believe it will be proven," once again denying the drug use allegations.

G-Dragon also addressed some netizens' suspicions of drug use based on his exaggerated body movements and slurred speech in airport departure videos.

He said, "Due to the nature of my profession, my appearance on screen and my daily life off-screen are different. It is something celebrities naturally have to endure when judged solely by appearances, but I honestly feel upset about being implicated in this drug case."

He added, "I started as a child actor at age six and have been in the entertainment industry for 30 years. Having danced for a long time, my body is more flexible than most people," he explained. He also said, "Regarding my speech, at some point, every word I say could be distorted, and as my influence grew, I became more cautious. Because of the pressure to speak responsibly, I tend to think carefully and take longer when speaking."

He continued, "Those things might make me appear awkward or off-topic, and if I can fix that, I will. But at least when expressing my beliefs, I think deeply and am not talking nonsense," he added.

G-Dragon, who is charged with drug offenses under the Narcotics Control Act, voluntarily appeared at the police station on the 6th for investigation. At a regular press briefing on the 13th, a National Police Agency investigation official responded to criticism that the investigation started solely based on statements without clear physical evidence by saying, "That is correct," but also countered, "It is somewhat unreasonable to conclude that the investigation is excessive." G-Dragon has denied the charges since the news of his being booked became public, stating, "I did not use drugs."

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