The courageous actions of the late Goo Hara have recently come to light. A documentary video titled “Burning Sun: Stories of K-pop Stars’ Secret Chat Room Exposed by Women” was posted on the BBC News Korea official channel on the 19th. The documentary highlighted individuals who worked to bring to light the so-called ‘Burning Sun Gate’ that shook the entertainment industry in 2019.
In 2016, Jung Joon-young was investigated for illegal filming following a report by a woman. Despite pressure from Jung Joon-young’s lawyers warning her that she could face severe punishment for false charges, the woman eventually withdrew her complaint. However, a copy of Jung Joon-young’s phone data that was leaked three years later triggered the ‘Burning Sun Gate’. The chat room involving Jung Joon-young revealed instances of group sexual assault, sharing of illegally filmed content, and suspicions of collusion with high-ranking police officials, such as an incident where a police officer allegedly helped Choi Jong-hoon avoid drunk driving charges.
It was belatedly revealed that Goo Hara had greatly assisted in the Burning Sun investigation. Reporter Kang Gyeong-yoon mentioned that Goo Hara’s presence played a crucial role by unraveling the mystery of the police officers involved in the chat room. Kang recalled Goo Hara’s words expressing her willingness to help and gratitude for the opportunity to do so.
Goo Hara’s older brother, Goo Ho-in, was aware of her involvement as well. He mentioned that Goo Hara, being close to Choi Jong-hoon since their debut days, persuaded him to share the information he knew with the reporter. The reporter then requested Choi Jong-hoon to confirm the identity of the ‘police chief,’ which was revealed to be Chief Yoon upon inquiry.
Reporter Kang described Goo Hara as a courageous woman who shared her experience as a revenge porn victim. Meanwhile, Goo Hara’s ex-boyfriend, Choi Jong-beom, was sentenced to one year in prison in 2020 for threatening to leak private videos and inflicting injuries on Goo Hara after illegally filming a part of her body in August 2018. However, he was not convicted of illegal filming charges.