Is G-Dragon the real target behind the 'bigger fish' the police are trying to catch, or is this another misstep by law enforcement?
Singer G-Dragon, real name Kwon Ji-yong, voluntarily appeared at the Nondong Police Station in Incheon on November 6, amidst allegations of drug use. He arrived dressed neatly in a black suit and blue shirt, his hair natural without any signs of dye or bleaching.
Escorted by his bodyguards, G-Dragon emerged from his vehicle and stood confidently in front of the press, displaying his signature gestures of dusting off his hands and stretching, appearing utterly unfazed.
He emphasized, "I did not commit any drug-related crimes, and I am here to clarify that. It is more important for me to undergo the investigation quickly than to say anything else at this moment."
The incident came to light when Incheon police began investigating a tip-off about drugs being circulated at a high-end members-only entertainment establishment known as 'Club G' in Gangnam, famously patronized by the top '1%'.
Before G-Dragon, the club's manager, Mr. A, known for having previously supplied drugs to actor Lee Sun-kyun, was detained for this case after a preliminary test showed a significant amount of psychotropic drugs. It is understood that the police confirmed G-Dragon's drug use based on Mr. A's testimony.
G-Dragon denied any relationship with the doctor who allegedly provided drugs for free but gave an evasive answer when asked about his visits to Club G, saying, "We'll have to wait and see," leaving those present puzzled.
He also asserted that he never dyed or bleached his hair.
The site was crowded not only with about a hundred journalists from both domestic and international media but also fans of G-Dragon. As the leader of the idol group Big Bang, which ignited the second generation of the Korean Wave, G-Dragon attracted considerable attention, showing himself publicly after a long time.
Some international fans even visited the Incheon Police Station just to catch a glimpse of G-Dragon. A fan from Taiwan mentioned coming to Korea specifically to see him and planned to return home the following day. Chinese students studying in Korea also came to witness G-Dragon's appearance at the police station.
Mr. Lee, a 23-year-old man who has been a fan of Big Bang for six years, said, "I firmly believe in G-Dragon's innocence. I think he turned himself in because he believes in his innocence as well."
Earlier, the Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency's drug crime investigation team announced that they had booked G-Dragon on the 25th of last month for violating the Narcotics Control Act. G-Dragon has since actively denied the allegations through his attorney, stating, "I have not used drugs" and expressed his intention to fully cooperate with the investigative authorities.
In 2011, while active with Big Bang, G-Dragon was investigated by the prosecution for marijuana smoking allegations and received a suspended indictment. At that time, he claimed that he smoked a cigarette handed to him by someone else, not knowing it contained marijuana. The prosecution made the decision based on the fact that he was a first-time offender and the detected level of the drug was below the standard for sentencing drug offenses.
Meanwhile, the police conducted a preliminary drug test on G-Dragon on the spot to check for drug use and planned to collect his urine and hair samples for detailed forensic analysis by the National Forensic Service.
