Former iKon member B.I tests negative for illegal drugs, putting an end to investigation
Rapper B.I (real name Kim Han-bin), former member of the KPop group iKon, has tested negative for illegal drugs as part of an investigation.
The rapper became embroiled in a controversy last year when he was accused of purchasing and using marijuana in 2016. B.I denied taking any illegal drugs but admitted to some of the allegations, including attempting to purchase drugs from a dealer. He was officially a suspect and has since been questioned approximately seven times.
Earlier in the investigation, it was revealed that Yang Hyun-suk, the former head of YG Entertainment, the company to which B.I was signed, had persuaded the rapper to hide the fact that he took drugs from the police. Yang was also found to have threatened the informant in the investigation into B.I's alleged drug use and was forwarded to prosecution.
Yang was already being questioned as part of the Burning Sun scandal over multiple suspicions including gambling, illegal foreign transactions and facilitating sex service for potential investors. After these allegations surfaced, YG's stocks plummetted and the company has been on a downward spiral since. Yang resigned from all his positions at YG after the scandal.
As the investigation went on, it was revealed that the dealer who delivered the drugs to B.I was none other than former trainee and controversial personality Han Seo-hee.
Han has had her name attached to several controversies including the drug scandal involving idol T.O.P. from another YG group, BigBang. Due to her involvement with that case, Han was given four years of probation in 2017. Han was also involved in removing a member from another boy group — Wonho of Monsta X.
Since B.I's departure from iKon in June 2019, the group has gone on to release new music and make their comeback using songs produced by B.I.
On June 12, 2019, B.I announced his departure from the group on his personal Instagram account after news agency Dispatch unearthed KakaoTalk messages from three years prior, outlining his attempt to purchase marijuana and LSD from an undisclosed female dealer. He was also accused of evading police charges. The messages allegedly detailed a conversation between B.I and the dealer, in which the singer asked for a bulk discount and the dealer warned him about the effects of taking drugs.
YG released an official apology for the entire debacle and promised to do a better job managing the remaining six members of iKon, stating that the decision to include B.I's songs but not B.I himself was due to the complications and cost of having to re-record the entire album in time for the scheduled comeback.
B.I made his own comeback earlier this year by releasing new music via his soundcloud, following which #WelcomeBackHanbin went on to trend worldwide for several hours. Fans have been extremely supportive of the idol, believing him to be innocent and not deserving of the backlash he has received, including being forced to exit his group.
