G-Dragon opened up about the distress he experienced during a drug investigation involving him, saying the false accusations left him so shaken that he even considered retiring from the entertainment industry.
The singer also spoke about his future, including the possibility of marriage.
The artist appeared on MBC’s current affairs program “Son Suk-hee’s Questions 3,” which aired Wednesday. During the interview, he revisited key moments of his career and discussed the circumstances surrounding his 2023 drug allegations.
Host Son Suk-hee mentioned the music video for “Power,” released last October, noting that G-Dragon had described it as humorous satire but that the video felt like a direct critique.
G-Dragon replied, “I had a very clear message. A year before the album release, I became entangled in an incident.”
In October 2023, he was investigated on suspicion of drug use. G-Dragon firmly denied the allegation, voluntarily appeared for police questioning and was later cleared after detailed forensic tests returned negative.
Although prosecutors found no grounds to move the case forward, he said he suffered significant stress due to speculative reports and persistent rumors.
“I wasn’t trying to appeal for sympathy, but despite being the person affected, I had nowhere to express my thoughts or feelings,” he said. “I was already taking a break from activities, and things spiraled out of control. For two or three months, including the end of the year and the start of the next, I barely remember how I got through it.”
He described the period as “draining and empty.” He added, “I wasn’t going to stage a protest, nor did I want to hold a press conference. But it was painful, and enduring it felt stifling. I even wondered, ‘Should I really come back?’ or ‘If I quit and retire, I could live like an ordinary person.’ But there was no real reason for me to disappear.”
He said these experiences shaped the creation of “Power.” “The root of the problem lay in the media,” he said. “I wanted to use my voice to satirize the media so that something like this would not happen again.”
During the interview, G-Dragon also addressed his thoughts on marriage. When Son asked, “When will you get married?” he laughed and replied, “You get married when it’s time. It’s a world I’ve never experienced, so I’m curious about it.”
He added, “It really is an unknown world to me. Among our members, Taeyang is married and now has a 4-year-old child. When I visit and say, ‘I’m your dad’s friend,’ even that feels surreal to me.”
G-Dragon said he believes he will become a father someday. “I’m excited but also nervous,” he said. As for a potential partner, he added with a smile, “I’m someone who will get married. If that’s known, maybe someone will come along.”
This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.