Cornell assault case draws Burning Sun comparisons

A civil lawsuit alleging a female Cornell University student was drugged and sexually assaulted by multiple Chi Phi fraternity members in October 2024 has drawn comparisons to Korea’s Burning Sun scandal, The Korea Times reported.

The comparisons center on alleged private group-chat activity, claims of sexual violence and questions about how institutions and authorities respond. The Korea Times reported that the case has circulated in Korean and Korean American online discussions, though it has no direct Orange County connection.

The Korea Times reported that the civil lawsuit names seven current and former Cornell University students, including Winston Lee. The allegations have not been proven in court.

According to The Korea Times, the plaintiff alleges she was drugged and sexually assaulted by multiple Chi Phi fraternity members in October 2024. The lawsuit cites messages from a fraternity Snapchat group called “Chi Phi Actives” that the plaintiff alleges were exchanged as she was being drugged and assaulted.

Cornell University said it reviewed the allegations through its internal disciplinary process and imposed sanctions that included suspensions and expulsions, The Korea Times reported. Local prosecutors initially declined to file criminal charges but reopened the investigation after the civil case drew renewed attention, according to the report.

The comparison to Burning Sun stems from similarities alleged by online users involving private chats, sexual violence claims and institutional accountability. “This whole story reminds me of the Burning Sun scandal,” one Reddit user wrote, according to The Korea Times.

Burning Sun began in 2019 with allegations tied to a Seoul nightclub and grew into investigations involving prostitution, sexual violence, illegally filmed and shared sexual videos, gambling and alleged police corruption, The Korea Times reported. Related investigations exposed group chats where celebrities and others shared illegally filmed sexual videos and made degrading comments about women.

The Cornell case remains a civil proceeding, and the renewed criminal investigation is ongoing, according to The Korea Times.