Seungri, a former member of K-pop group BigBang. [Herald POP (now Herald Muse) via The Korea Herald]
Seungri, a former member of K-pop group BigBang. [Herald POP (now Herald Muse) via The Korea Herald]

Seungri (36, real name Lee Seung-hyun), a former member of K-pop group BigBang who was recently reported to be expecting a child early next year, has already completed his marriage registration and is legally married, according to reports.

Seungri filed a marriage registration with a woman in her 20s who is not a public figure, Ilgan Sports reported Wednesday. His wife is currently pregnant and expected to give birth early next year. Seungri told the outlet he is "not currently considering holding a wedding ceremony."

Earlier, on Monday, Gray News reported that Seungri's girlfriend — a woman in her 20s outside the entertainment industry — was pregnant, and that the couple planned to hold a wedding ceremony after the birth.

The outlet said it learned of the pregnancy while covering a separate case involving Seungri on charges of aggravated assault. Seungri was reported to have remarked at the time that he had "a family to protect."

Seungri was reported to the Seoul Gangnam Police Station on Aug. 25 on charges of aggravated assault, aggravated intimidation and aggravated unlawful confinement. The complainant, a man in his 30s identified only as A, alleged that Seungri and his companions assaulted, threatened and confined him at a restaurant in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, in early August. A's side specifically claimed that Seungri wielded a soju bottle to threaten him.

Yoon Jae-bin, an attorney at law firm Surim representing Seungri, said in a statement Friday that his client "did pick up a soju bottle, but never swung or struck anyone with it." Yoon added that Seungri regrets failing to control his emotions and acting inappropriately at the time.

"After the complaint was filed, the complainant's side reached out to request a settlement, but Seungri determined he could not close the matter by admitting to acts he did not actually commit," Yoon said. "He has submitted relevant materials to the investigative authorities and decided to establish the facts. We believe it is for the investigators and the court to make the final judgment, and Seungri will continue to cooperate faithfully with the investigation."

Seungri debuted with BigBang in 2006 but left the group and the entertainment industry in 2019 after being identified as a central figure in the so-called "Burning Sun Gate" scandal. He was subsequently indicted on nine charges, including arranging prostitution, habitual gambling and embezzlement. The Supreme Court upheld a sentence of one year and six months in prison in May 2022, and he was released in February 2023 after serving his term.


dbsdn1110@heraldcorp.com