Seungri of BIGBANG spotted in Vietnam after prison release

Seungri (36, real name Lee Seung-hyun), a former member of K-pop group BIGBANG, has been spotted in Vietnam.

According to Vietnamese new media outlet Schannel, Seungri recently appeared at the opening event of AY-VY Hanoi, a mixed-use cultural complex in the Vietnamese capital. Schannel posted a video on its official social media on Friday, writing that the "former BIGBANG member Seungri attended the opening of the AY-VY cultural complex in Hanoi despite rainy weather."

In the footage, Seungri was dressed in a beige suit, being guided by a staff member holding an umbrella in the rain before appearing inside the venue. He looked noticeably fuller than during his active years with BIGBANG.

Seungri debuted as a BIGBANG member in 2006 but left the group in 2019 following the so-called "Burning Sun scandal" and announced his retirement from the entertainment industry.

He was indicted on charges including arranging prostitution, habitual gambling and violating the Foreign Exchange Transactions Act. The Supreme Court handed down a final sentence of one year and six months in prison in 2022, and he was released in February 2023 after serving his term.

Meanwhile, BIGBANG is currently holding a solo concert in South Korea to mark the 20th anniversary of its debut. The group is staging "BIGBANG 2026 World Tour in Goyang" at Goyang Stadium in Gyeonggi Province from Friday through Sunday.