T.O.P is soon completing his duty as a public service worker.

The BIGBANG member was previously revealed to finish his service on July 8, but it was reported on July 1 that his last day at the Yongsan District Office will be July 6.

The Yongsan District Office explained, “The Yongsan Crafts Museum, which Choi Seung Hyun (T.O.P’s given name) is serving at, operates on Saturdays as a regular work day and is closed on Mondays. As a result, Choi Seung Hyun will complete his final work day on Saturday, July 6 and be discharged at 6 p.m. that day.”

T.O.P initially enlisted as a conscripted policeman in February 2017 and served until that summer, when he was dismissed from duty as a result of marijuana use. He then resumed mandatory service as a public service worker in January 2018. T.O.P was scheduled to complete his service in early August of this year, but new military laws implemented in 2018 shortened service periods, leading to his July discharge.

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Kang Kyung Yoon, the reporter who released the initial reports on KakaoTalk chatrooms between Seungri, Jung Joon Young, and others, revealed that Yang Hyun Suk had reached out to her and apologized.

On June 28, SBS funE reporter Kang Kyung Yoon guested on SBS’s podcast “Cine Town 19” (literal title) and talked about what went on behind the process of reporting on Burning Sun.

She shared, “After the report on Burning Sun, [Yang Hyun Suk] reached out to me through another reporter. When I reported on the suspicions of Seungri mediating prostitution services and revealed the KakaoTalk messages, [YG] released an official statement saying not to spread false rumors, but Yang Hyun Suk later told me, ‘I’m sorry about [what happened] back then. I had to believe in my kid [Seungri’s] words. It wasn’t intentional.'”

In February, YG Entertainment had released an official statement saying, “We hope that through thorough investigations by the police, the truth of the indiscriminate rumors will be revealed, and if there is even the slightest issue, Seungri will have to accept the legal consequences. Conversely, if the rumors are proved false, we will, in addition to requesting a police investigation, be preparing all routes of legal action.”

Meanwhile, Seungri was recently forwarded to prosecution on seven charges, and Yang Hyun Suk was questioned by the police on suspicions of prostitution mediation.

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Seungri has been forwarded to the prosecution for seven charges.

On June 25, the Metropolitan/Provincial Special Detective Division of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency revealed that Seungri has been forwarded to the prosecution on charges of prostitution and prostitution mediation, embezzlement of Burning Sun funds, embezzlement of attorney’s fees, destruction of evidence, violation of the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment, etc. of Sexual Crimes, and violation of the Food Sanitation Act.

However, he was forwarded to the prosecution with recommendation for non-indictment regarding suspicions of prostitution mediation at his birthday party in Palawan in December 2017.

Stay tuned for more details.

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Top photo credit: Xportsnews

Aori Ramen is now under new ownership.

On June 19, Aori Ramen’s company Aori FNB announced that 100 percent of its shares have been acquired by private investors with plans for a fresh start next month.

Seungri’s 5 percent of shares have been canceled, and Yuri Holdings’s shares of 39 percent will be sold and the full proceeds donated to the Green Umbrella’s Children’s Foundation. Due to feelings of moral responsibility, six stores operated by Seungri’s relatives will be closed or transferred to a third party who has no connections to Seungri.

With this, Aori FNB has officially cut all of its ties with Seungri, Yuri Holdings, and its previous shareholders.

Kim Hoon Tae has been chosen as the new head of Aori FNB. He has 22 years of experience working in overseas development projects and brand marketing for Hyundai Card, Hyundai Capital, and the Marriott Hotel.

CEO Kim Hoon Tae said, “As one of many lovers of Japanese ramen, I watched the unfortunate situations that Aori Ramen faced. Now, I’ll use all of my efforts so that the customers who liked Aori Ramen can trust and enjoy it once again.” He continued, “The newly beginning Aori FNB and its franchises will create a business model that can continuously contribute to and create value for the community. We will soon release a plan where we and our customers can share our warm hearts with society.”

Aori Ramen has been directly affected by the controversies surrounding Seungri. In March, it experienced a sharp decrease in customers and sales as the chain was widely known as “Seungri’s ramen restaurant” even after Aori FNB cut ties with Seungri and Yuri Holdings. Out of about 44 restaurants that were operating in December 2018, over a third of them were forced to close or temporarily suspended operations due to financial difficulties.

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