His announcement on Monday (March 11) came a day after he was charged with providing prostitutes to foreign investors in his private club, media said, driving down shares of his agency as much as 16 percent.
Some fans from Japan and China were spotted in front of Seungri’s agency YG entertainment after the news was released. 52-year-old Japanese fan Kaori Kuwabara said that she was very sad about the news but she would keep supporting the band, while young South Korean students said Seungri deserves to retire.
Seungri made his official debut in August 2006 along with the group’s other four members: G-Dragon, T.O.P, Taeyang and Daesung. It has drawn many fans across Asia from places such as Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore and Taiwan.
(Production: Dogyun Kim, Minwoo Park)