Whenever a K-pop idol is accused of being involved in a scandal, one would expect their agency to quickly come to their defence or, at the very least, address the situation, as has been done countless times. Unfortunately, despite there being no evidence against them, some idols’ contracts have been immediately terminated simply for being mentioned in a rumour.
That was the case with former THE BOYZ member Ju Haknyeon (주학년), whose agency, ONE HUNDRED, reportedly removed him from the group after rumours emerged that he had a sexual relationship with former Japanese adult actress Asuka Kirara. In a recent interview with Billboard, the idol opened up about his dismissal as well as the ongoing lawsuit against the company.
To recap, a reporter accused Ju Haknyeon of spending the night with Asuka Kirara and released alleged photos of the two. The idol claimed that he was removed from THE BOYZ and ONE HUNDRED after refusing to sign a termination agreement and pay KRW 2 billion (approximately RM6.1 million) in damages. He has since taken legal action against the reporter who first published the story, as well as against news outlets, for defamation. In July of this year, police dropped the prostitution case against him due to insufficient evidence.
However, Haknyeon is still facing the KRW 8 billion (RM22.3 million) lawsuit from ONE HUNDRED. In his interview with Billboard, he first clarified the events that started this whole fiasco. “We were hanging out with many people and, as it got later while we were drinking, there was one person [there] who used to be an AV actress. Her name is Asuka Kirara. I met her there for the first time and, as far as I knew, she had retired from her old job years ago. She became very successful after changing from her previous career. So, while drinking together, I was curious, and we talked about various things, including discussions about business,” he said.
Haknyeon then recalled the moment his agency pressured him to sign the termination contract. “During this process, I said I wouldn’t sign it, that I couldn’t agree to this amount. I was so sorry and apologetic, crying a lot because, realistically, if I paid this, it would be the end of my life. I would go bankrupt. I just kept saying I couldn’t do it.” Unfortunately for him, due to his refusal to sign the contract, ONE HUNDRED filed a lawsuit against the idol. He also suspected that the company may have been involved in the media coverage after he rejected their demands.
He concluded the interview by warning fellow idols to be cautious with their agencies, as his former one did not defend him when he was falsely accused. “I want people to know that the company doesn’t protect their artists and isn’t acting like a proper company. If I lose this case over something I didn’t do… the companies will certainly abuse this kind of situation again.” His court session will be taking place soon. You can read the full interview here.
