Seungri Spotted in Hanoi as BIGBANG Marks 20 Years Without Him

Seungri, the former BIGBANG member who has kept a low public profile since his release from prison in February 2023, was filmed attending the opening event of 'AY-VY Hanoi,' a mixed-use cultural venue located at the Hoan Kiem Opera House, a Hanoi landmark, on the 20th. The footage, shared by Vietnamese new-media outlet Schannel on its official social media on the 21st, shows him in a beige suit jacket being escorted through the rain by a staff member holding an umbrella.

The timing drew immediate notice: BIGBANG opened its 2026 World Tour in Goyang on the 21st, running through the 23rd at Goyang Sports Complex, celebrating the group's 20th debut anniversary. The group now operates as a four-member act, without Seungri.

One detail added a layer of ambiguity to the Hanoi appearance. Seungri's name did not appear on the official guest list for the AY-VY opening, and official event photos released by the venue's social media did not include him. That gap prompted speculation online that he had attended as an unofficial invitee, possibly to avoid attracting public criticism. The AY-VY event itself drew a sizable lineup, including American producer Scott Storch, singer Mario Winans, Danny Boystyles, and Vietnamese artists Suboi and Binz.

Seungri, whose legal name is Lee Seung-hyun, debuted with BIGBANG in 2006. Following his implication as a central figure in the Burning Sun scandal, he announced his retirement from the entertainment industry in 2019 and formally left the group. He was subsequently convicted on nine counts including habitual gambling, procurement of prostitution, and solicitation of assault, and the Supreme Court confirmed a sentence of one year and six months in 2022. He was released in February 2023.

Since then, sightings at nightclubs and restaurants in South Korea and abroad have been reported intermittently. Some of those appearances drew additional criticism when BIGBANG's music was reportedly played or members' names were mentioned in connection with him.

The Hanoi footage adds to that pattern of quiet re-emergence, though the nature of his relationship to the AY-VY venue or its organizers was not made clear by any of the coverage surrounding the event.