K-pop star Ju Haknyeon accused of prostitution, police complaint filed
What's the story
Ju Haknyeon, a former member of the popular K-pop group The Boyz, has been accused of prostitution.
A netizen filed a complaint with the Gangnam Police Station in Seoul on Thursday, alleging that he violated the Punishment of Arranging Sexual Traffic law by engaging or facilitating prostitution.
This comes after photos of Haknyeon with former Japanese adult film star Kirara Asuka at a Tokyo bar surfaced online earlier this week, and he was booted from his band.
Emotional letters
The Boyz issued apology to fans
After Haknyeon's exit from The Boyz and One Hundred Label's statement, the remaining members of the group issued heartfelt apologies to their fans, known as The B.
Sunwoo, Younghoon, Q, Eric, Jacob, Juyeon, New, Hyunjae, and Kevin took to a communication platform on Wednesday to express their remorse.
They promised to prove their responsibility moving forward and pledged to work harder for their fans' happiness.
Singer's response
Haknyeon's handwritten note
To recall, Haknyeon had announced a hiatus from group activities citing personal reasons, which was later confirmed by One Hundred Label as termination.
The agency stated that the group will continue as a 10-member act due to a breach of trust between Haknyeon and the agency.
He later issued a handwritten apology on his social media account on Thursday, admitting to meeting Asuka at a late-night gathering but denying any involvement in prostitution or illegal activities.
Taeil
Episode comes after another male idol confessed to rape
After the image from the lounge spread around, initial Korean reports alleged romantic involvement between Haknyeon and Asuka.
However, soon after, grave indications of a prostitution ring being in place emerged.
According to reports, in the police complaint, the netizen has hinted that the K-pop idol must be properly investigated, as it might not be an isolated incident, but part of something bigger.
Notably, The Boyz controversy surfaced just a day after ex-NCT member Taeil pleaded guilty to "aggravated" rape.