This latest scandal out of K-ent is a combination bad decision, bad behavior, and lawbreaking all wrapped into one. 2014 really is a terrible year for K-ent and if the remaining celebs who haven’t tasted the downside of fame this year want to go into hibernation mode until 2015 then I would totally understand. News broke earlier this week that A-list movie star Lee Byung Hun was being blackmailed and reported it to the police. It was reportedly over a raunchy video recording made of the star drinking with younger women and cracking lewd jokes and sexual commentary. The blackmailers were the two women he drank with and they recorded the video while hanging out with him at his house that he lives with his wife Lee Min Jung, who reportedly was either out of town or out of the country at that time. Lee Byung Hun has denied the video was recorded at his home and claims it was at a restaurant.
The blackmailers demanded what amounts to $5 million US dollars for the video and would destroy it if he forked over the astronomical sum otherwise they would release it. I don’t know what deluded world the two blackmailers were in to think that a demand for such a high amount would ever be entertained for material that, if true, would at most paint Lee Byung Hun as a sleazy married dude being emotionally unfaithful to his wife. The rub is Lee Byung Hun’s reputation within Korea is hardly the most sterling to begin with and the video contents would at most be reinforcing some already prevalent opinions of him. Lee Byung Hun either decided it was too much to pay or didn’t care about the video being released, either way he reported the blackmailing young ladies and the police immediately issued arrest warrants. Turns out one is Dahee of the girl group GLAM (and also in the drama Monstar) while the other is still unnamed but is reportedly a young model.
Channel A got a hold of the video in question and posted some snippets of the so-called lewd convo that led to the two young women believing they could blackmail Lee Byung Hun with it. Among the things he said were: “When was your first sexual experience? What part of the male body turns you on? Do you like the face more or the body more?” As far as I know, none of what he said was illegal or crossing the line since the two young women are of age, but it is majorly inappropriate taking into account that Lee Byung Hun is married and over 20 years older than Dahee who is all of 20 years old this year. I would be skeeved out to have a much older man banter and query me about my sexual preferences over drinks. But coming across as skeevy does not mean Lee Byung Hun did anything that deserved getting blackmailed. I do wish K-ent celebs would start making better decisions all around in living their personal lives so that their dirty laundry isn’t aired all over the media in what feels like an every other week occurrence. Dahee has reportedly admitted her role in the blackmail while her co-conspirator is also being investigated. Both ladies can probably kiss their careers goodbye on account of trying to make a quick illegal buck.
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His wife is so pretty! I thought he would change after marriage. Sigh... I love him so much as an actor.
Yes, she is indeed pretty. Her name is Lee Min Jung and she is a model and an amazing actress.
foolishness all around. especially from the pervy ahjussi who should know better and be more respectful of his wife. nasty ass
Very questionable line of thinking. Well she is only 20 after all and naivety (perhaps alcohol too?) have influenced her better judgement. In any case her career is pretty much over, and unfortunately for the rest of her fledgling idol group, they're in it with the colateral damage as well.
LBH's shenanigans is akin to that of what you would hear in casting couch interviews or just plain old sleazy guy. Still, I found it more as funny rather than incriminating at all. This hardly qualifies as blackmail material given the more serious allegations of the past few in k-ent industry.
No. The contents of the video are not released--maybe never will. Basically, LBH's power spawned Korean major news outlets. The company LBH establishes also manipulates news coverages on one bullying case in military because Han Hyo Joo's brother is involved. http://netizenbuzz.blogspot.com/2014/08/actress-retains-tight-control-over.html
LBH and his company basically is like mafia.
I wonder how Lee Min Jung feels right now. And I also wonder what must be going on at their household as of this moment. . .
As koala said, this is hardly his first brush with scandal; he's done plenty of questionable things in the past, and has managed, with the "virtues" of extreme popularity and Mafia-esque management, to stay in the public good graces. As for Lee Min Jung, I am sure she knows all this and more, and I am assuming that she has come up with a way to accept and live with her husband, warts and all. She must have a very thick skin, have very large blinders on, or have discovered some secret inner trove of caring and goodness in her husband. Along with a bunch of rainbow-colored unicorns, perhaps.
Well, i suggest then that Dahee just pick a major that doesn't have anything to do with theater and start over. She got lucky there considering the crime she's committed.
what do u mean by she's lucking? there are speculation she might get up to 5 years due to the astronomical amount she asked for
He's gross, but still they were in the wrong for what they did. We don't know the details of his marriage and while we can judge him morally for being a sleaze, he didn't actually do anything illegal. They are just beyond stupid. Of all the people to blackmail, picking him was kind of baffling. He has a shit reputation already and is super rich and powerful. I do hope she doesn't do much time though. If violent stalkers who beat their wives are let off with paying less than a 10k fine, stupid girls who didn't harm anyone shouldn't get much if there was any fairness in the world.
No. What LBH said to these two young girls crosses the line and constitutes sexual harassment. Even in Korea where sexism is a norm, there are some new regulations about verbal harassment. LBH is a pervert, using the most uncreative and obscene language to seduce girls. I never understand media hype about him. An International superstar? LOL. His role in GI JOE can be easily replaced by anyone who has an Asian face and six packs. Koreans are just too eager to get recognition from Hollywood so anyone who plays in Hollywood film can be a big shot.
The way LBH manipulates media makes me detest him even more. He is not an innocent victim-he made inappropriate speech to begin with. This incident again proves that Korea society remains extremely sexist and Korean entertainment industry is controlled by old boys club. Granted, black is a crime, but verbal harassment should not be easily excused as well. Not to mention that how many actresses have to provide free sex service in order to have a chance in the industry.
As Koala mentioned when LBH and LMJ got married, the gap in age and status is striking. Now, judging from the way LBH uses media to execute these two girls, there is no way for LMJ to break away from this marriage if she wants to. Or she just has to live blindly and continues to idolize LBH as she claimed in public. This marriage is a death trap for her and she made the choice herself. As expected, LBH will ask her to launder his image.
The biggest victim is LMJ. The rest are just consequence of their stupid actions.
Lee Min Jung is not a victim...she already knew before she married him what kind of dirtbag this guy is. Everyone in Korea knew all his scandals and etc...but she still chose to marry him.
Isn't it most girls dream to reform a rake? She probably believed he will change for your relationship. But it seem not, " A leopard will not change its spot.
She is a victim as she has to now suffer the embarassment and shame of a situation she plays no part in it. She may marry the wrong guy but no one deserved to be treated so badly.
True
Lee byung hun you scumbag good for nothing pervert your actions and words constitutes to sexual harassment , those bitches should also be held accountable with their actions
I never liked this guy or his acting. What's with the rope to tie those girls? They roll out the red carpet for KHJ and the tie ropes on the girls like they are really going to hurt somebody.
My sentiments exactly!
How come they just being tied and arrested whereas KHJ and Park HY who insulted and have evidence of and already confessed beaten the girl is walking freely?
I've been wondering this for a while now, but can someone please explain to me what Koreans think of LBH and what his image is? I've never noticed a hype about him even though he's taken part in a few Hollywood productions. For a country like Korea, which looks to me like a country with strong pride and without being shy of showing that pride openly and continually, I've always been confused about the silence surrounding LBH (or maybe there's just no hype on international sites, I don't know). Does anyone know?
I'm like you @latesleeper, I have no clues to LBH hype! all I know is that he has stared in GI Joe in Hollywood, and was a star in the original Iris and that Koreans love him as a famous actor/export.
What were two girls who are in the limelight and new to their respected industry doing out drinking with a very much older married man?
Pervy or not, alcohol always makes people say stupid things!!!
Its wrong to ask those questions especially from a married man to young women, but maybe he was genuinely curious about their answers! (his poor wife).
For those girls, this was a stupid act on their part, career wise they can kiss it goodbye! who'd want to be around them for fear of being the next victim of their blackmailing!
They have more to loose in this situation than he does. He comes across as a pervy guy, who may not be faithful to his marriage vows, but then that is something that he and his wife need to sort out, without the public needing to know.
I so don't care to know about actors private lives, airing their dirty laundry in public is nasty. I guess thats why I' not soo clued in on any actors hype!
i'd rather know about their acting and their roles, and if they were any good in said drama or movie portraying said role. if they chose a good role or was their acting skills a failure for said role. that's why we watch dramas and movies, not because of their private live shenanigans!!!!
He did star in that critically acclaimed I Saw the Devil and that other sageuk which I forgot the name is.
Agreed
Im also curious about his reputaion. I read about kim seung woo testifying against him and a ceo for planning an assault but i didnt see many articles in english about it so i have no idea how true or untrue it is. So frustrating not to be able to read korean articles about it.
He's a top actor in korea..Most of his works are hits and critically acclaimed..I think korea never liked him as a person coz of his many scandals but as an actor he is..
If my husband did this, I will just kill him!!! figure of speech!
I agree! not kill, but maybe divorce and just over all sayonara!!!
especially if the marriage is just a year in its outing and he does something this sleazy!!
I don't get how he would/could invite these girls 20 years his junior with drinks in his home he stays with his wifey (I believe the bit it was his home and call liar him and company for saying it was a restaurant). And he was alone, he was right?
There is no valid reason of doing something idiotic as this, it is not poor judgement it is more of disgusting and perverted and not good husband material.
I hope Lee Min Jung cut ties as early as possible cause if not she is in for more heartbreak in the future!