Big Bang rapper G-Dragon has given his first interview since he was booked by South Korean police on drug charges, reiterating his denial of the allegations and rubbishing new claims that he had shaved his body to ‘tamper with evidence’.
The new interview was conducted by South Korean news network Yonhap News TV in a live broadcast on national television yesterday evening (November 13). When asked by a Yonhap representative if he had taken any drugs, the singer continued to firmly deny the claims. Asked about the results of a comprehensive drug test he volunteered for last week, G-Dragon said the test had come back negative.
“I know myself best. Because I did not take drugs, I attended [police interrogation sessions] to prove my innocence as soon as possible, because [I have] nothing to do with the drug charges,” he told Yonhap, via Herald Pop. G-Dragon had gone to a police station in Incheon, South Korea early last week for questioning that reportedly lasted four hours, which included a rapid drug test administered on-site. After exiting the station, he told the media that he had tested negative and that questioning went smoothly.
G-Dragon also responded to reports that emerged after his questioning and alleged that he had tried to ‘tamper with evidence’ by removing all the hair on his body apart from that on his head. On November 10, the rapper’s lawyer issued a statement calling the reports “inaccurate” and the claims tantamount to “defamation”, as Soompi reported. G-Dragon would in future “take strong legal action against such speculative reporting”, it said.
In the Yonhap TV interview, G-Dragon addressed and denied those allegations, which he called “completely different from the truth”. He added: “I haven’t bleached or dyed my hair for over a year and a half since promotions for my album last year.”
“I voluntarily submitted my hair and nails in order to prove my innocence as soon as possible despite the lack of communication from the police, or an official search warrant for a body check. I don’t know why other suspicions and misunderstandings continue to arise, but the most important thing is whether I took drugs or not – this is the [most] essential question to be asked. We are now trying to prove this and I think it will be proven.”
Yonhap also asked G-Dragon to comment on a video of him that resurfaced following the allegations and prompted netizens to speculate that he had been using drugs. “The version of me you see [through the media] and the everyday version you don’t see may differ, but it is something I have to endure as a celebrity to be judged based only on what is shown [to the public]. I am honestly upset about my involvement in the drug case,” G-Dragon replied.
“As for the way I speak – at some point, every word I say may be misinterpreted. As I gain more influence, I become more cautious. I feel burdened and compelled to always speak responsibly, and I have to think very carefully before I say something. At least for people who contact me through the media or elsewhere, I am trying to answer every question, no matter how trivial, as honestly and sincerely as possible.”
G-Dragon – real name Kwon Ji-young – was first booked by the Incheon Metropolitan Police on October 26 for allegedly breaching South Korea’s Narcotics Control Act. Shortly after the news of the allegations surfaced, the musician came forward to deny claims of his illegal drug use in a statement through his lawyer.
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