Instagram removes former K-pop star Seungri from the platform

Former K-pop singer and Big Bang member Seungri has been removed from Instagram, following his recent 18-month jail sentence.

Yesterday (May 30), South Korean news outlets Korea JoongAng Daily and SBS Star reported that the former singer has been removed from social media platform Instagram. Seungri’s handle @seungriseyo, which had around 8million followers prior to its removal, is currently unavailable, as of time of writing.

The social media platform’s move to remove Seungri from its platform comes just days after the South Korean Supreme Court rejected the 32-year-old singer’s appeal for a lighter sentence over his involvement in the Burning Sun scandal. The singer’s account was locked and made private following the May 26 hearing, and removed altogether some time on May 30.

Instagram reportedly does not allow convicted sex offenders to use its platform, with Korea JoongAng Daily noting other celebrities – such as actor Ko Young-wook, singer Jung Joon-young and ex-FT Island member Choi Jong-hoon – who were removed from the platform for similar reasons.

In August 2021, a lower court had originally found the singer guilty of nine charges, which ranged from misappropriating funds to procuring prostitution for investors. For this, he was sentenced to three years behind bars and also ordered to pay ₩1.15billion (roughly £700,000) in restitution.

However, Seungri’s prison sentence was later halved at a appeal trial in January, during which reportedly pled guilty to all charges, along with an expression of formal intention to reflect on his actions and charges.

Seungri, who is currently being held at a Military Correctional Institution, will be transferred to a correctional facility for the rest of his sentence, Yonhap News Agency reported, citing court officials. The former K-pop idol’s jail term is expected to end in February 2023, according to MBN.

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