A few days after having announced his departure from the popular K-Pop The Boyz group, singer Ju Haknyeon is making news again, this time for having taken legal actions against a journalist who reported his alleged involvement in a sexual scandal with the former Japanese cinema star Kirara Asuka.
Thursday, Ju Haknyeon has filed a cause for defamation against Choi Ji Ye, a journalist at South Korea’s Tenasia, accusing it of publishing “false and harmful statements” who says he has damaged his reputation and his career. The complaint, presented in Seoul, cites violations pursuant to the law on promoting the use of the network of information and communications and the protection of information, the country’s law on the dissemination of false online information.
The cause comes in response to a viral article written by Choi that the alleged Ju encounter Asuka in a bar in Tokyo on May 30 and paid for it by sex. The statements rapidly waveted on Korean social media, with the hashtags connecting his name to prostitution and violated the anti-prostitution laws of abroad of South Korea. In a few days, his agency, Cento, announced that Ju would leave the boyz, citing the controversy.
“I met with her, but I never paid for sex,” JU wrote in a handwritten letter to the fans, released on June 18th. “The way the situation was twisted and harmonized is deeply unfair. I am devastated by the false narrative that is driven.”
The Seoul Gangnam police confirmed that he had received a complaint of citizens for presumably soliciting prostitution abroad, but no formal accusations were presented. According to the South Korean law, citizens can be pursued to engage in prostitution abroad, even if it is legal in the country in which it occurs.
Asuka Kirara, one of Japan’s most famous actresses, did not publicly comment on the accusations. The viral nature of the voices, however, has rekindled the public debate in Korea for control idols they face in their private life – and the blurred line between journalism and gossip.
The legal team of Ju stated that the relationship was not lacking only tests, but that “it was incorrectly damaged the personal and professional integrity of our client”.
“Publish not verified accusations on a public figure without concrete tests cross the in defamation line”, reads the legal declaration. “We will take all the legal remedies available to protect the name of Mr. Ju and seek responsibility”.
This case marks one of the few times in which a K-Pop idol has responded to the scandal by undertaking a legal action against the press. In the past, many stars have chosen to keep silent or let the agencies manage the damage control, often at the cost of their career. The rapid legal response of Ju indicates a round, one in which idols can be more willing to defend themselves publicly and legally.
The Boyz, under Ist Entertainment, made his debut in 2017 and gained a strong following in both South Korea and internationally. Ju Haknyeon, born in Jeju and a mixed Korean-Cinese mixed inheritance, was one of the most recognizable faces of the group.
Fans have been divided since the scandal broke out. Some argue that Ju is unjustly targeted by the sensationalist media. Others believe that idols must keep immaculate public images. In the Korean and Tiktok forums, the heated debates continue to also question whether the harsh moral expectations of the country for celebrities are obsolete.
For now, Ju Haknyeon remains out of the spotlight, but not under the eyes of the public. It remains to be seen if his cause will be successful, or if he returns to the musical industry.
