Chanel ambassador G Dragon is reported to be under investigation for drug use

G Dragon, in Chanel, at the Chanel cruise 2023 show in May. Photo: Chanel

It is not really rocking the K-pop world that one of their industry darlings and luxury fashion’s favourites G Dragon (legal name: Kwon Ji-yong) is currently being investigated in Seoul for illicit drug consumption. According to Korea JoongAng Daily, Incheon Police Agency opened a probe into the star’s purported drug use on Monday. This came after actor Lee Sun-kyun of Parasite fame was also of similar interest to the police in a separate investigation. This would be the second time that G Dragon is linked to drug use. In 2011, he was initially charged with doping on marijuana , but the indictment was later suspended after he claimed to have inhaled the psychoactive drug “unintentionally”, as the cigarette was offered by a Japanese fan. Presently, the Korean police has not revealed what they believe G Dragon has been illegally consuming, but the current police interest in the Big Bang singer barely registered as shocking among local fans, with some saying that “drug allegations have followed him throughout his career”.

Chanel, a big supporter of G Dragon , has not commented on the claims against the rapper. G Dragon was last seen for the brand at the Chanel x Frieze cocktail reception in Seoul last month. His relationship with Chanel go back to 2015, when he attended the label’s haute couture spring/summer show in Paris, then still under the stewardship of the late Karl Lagerfeld. Subsequently, he was appointed Chanel’s ambassador in 2016, the first Asian for the maison. G Dragon had such a bond with Mr Lagerfeld that the designer shot him for a Vogue Korea cover that year (he would continue to appear on the title’s covers, togged in Chanel). In the following, he was also featured in the video campaign of the launch of the new Gabrielle Bag (now in limited release, although the rumour is that the style is discontinued since early this year). Prior to Chanel, G Dragon was linked to Louis Vuitton, but that partnership ended when the former came into the picture. With Chanel, G Dragon became synonymous with the house’s tweeds, jewellery, and bags, but not always looking his edgy best.

When the news of the probe into G Dragon’s “violation of drug control laws” emerged, Korean Netizens began (re)looking at old social media reels of the star, including his photo wall appearance at that Chanel event in September. Some fans were convinced that he behaved differently, even “erratically”. Another reel showed him arriving at Incheon airport in May to depart for Los Angeles, where he was committed to attend the Chanel cruise 2013 show. In the footage, G Dragon appeared not to be able to walk straight or carry himself steadily, which led many to conclude that drug use was evident then. And there is a comparison video circulating online that purports to show the difference between an interview the star gave in 2015, when he was “articulate” and another from last year (recorded during Chanel cruise 2022 show), when his speech was thought to be “slurred”. If G Dragon did not look “right” or sound ”coherent” at Chanel events, it may mean that he was no longer discriminate in his use of drugs. Could this be the slow unraveling of the close-knit relationship between G Dragon and Chanel?

Update (28 Nov 2023, 17:40): According to Yonhap New Agency, G Dragon has been banned by the police from traveling overseas. The force emphasised that the rapper is not to leave the country while investigations are still in progress. G Dragon released a statement through his lawyer in which he said, “I’ve never used drugs”