THE BOYZ's agency denies Ju Haknyeon's claim over termination of contract

THE BOYZ's agency, ONE HUNDRED, dismissed former member Ju Haknyeon's claim that the agency "unilaterally" terminated his contract without his consent.

In a statement obtained by K-entertainment Soompi, the agency clarified that they decided to suspend Haknyeon’s activities after recognizing that "the matter at hand could cause significant harm to the group’s activities." 

"After we thoroughly reviewed the situation, we made him fully aware that the incident constituted grounds for contract termination under Article 6, Clause 3 of his exclusive contract, which refers to 'conduct that damages the dignity of an artist to the extent that it interferes with entertainment activities.' We then made the decision accordingly," the statement read, adding that its termination was carried out "in accordance with the contract’s terms and was a fair and justified action."

ONE HUNDRED also said that the issue arose from the K-pop star's negligence of his responsibilities. Consequently, if he persists in making such claims, the agency will pursue necessary legal action to protect the company and its artists.

"At the core of this matter is Ju Haknyeon’s avoidance of responsibility and repeated distorted claims. Should he persist in making such claims, we will pursue all necessary legal action to protect our company and artists from harm, including submitting relevant evidence and documentation to the appropriate legal authorities."

It added, "Following this statement, we will not issue further responses regarding Ju Haknyeon’s false assertions."

Nonetheless, the agency assured fans that all the group's activities will continue as scheduled without Haknyeon and it will do its part "to protect the honor and rights of the remaining members."

'I can no longer stay silent'

The statement came an hour after Haknyeon released a statement, denying allegations of prostitution and saying that his departure from the group and termination of his contract were a unilateral decision made without his consent.

Haknyeon stated he "has not engaged in any illegal activities" such as prostitution and will pursue all possible civil and criminal legal action regarding the matter. 

"If there is any evidence that I engaged in prostitution, I urge that it be made public immediately. Furthermore, I have never withdrawn from the group, nor have I ever consented to the termination of my exclusive contract," he said. 

Haknyeon added, "Despite there being no valid reason for contract termination as outlined in my contract, my agency is attempting to fabricate such grounds. Some media outlets are also defaming me by bringing up prostitution without any evidence." 

He further said that his former agency demanded payment of two billion won, or more than P83 million, as compensation for leaving the company, which he did not accept. 

"Nevertheless, the agency informed the press that my contract termination had been finalized. This is a blatant falsehood," the 26-year-old K-pop singer stated, asking, "Is it truly the role of an agency, which is supposed to protect its artist, to unilaterally expel me from the team simply because I happened to be at a private gathering with a well-known person, and to pressure me into contract termination while threatening over 2 billion won in damages?" 

Haknyeon accused the agency of sending him a notice claiming the contract had been terminated due to his wrongdoing when he allegedly refused to accept the contract termination. He asserted that this notice falsely claimed his negligence regarding "proper procedures outlined in the contract" and included "warnings regarding compensation claims."

"To be honest, I am very frightened. But I realized that if I give in here, this society may become a place where people without power can be destroyed over things they did not do." 

He added, "Until now, I have remained silent, believing that the truth would come to light. But I can no longer stay silent in the face of attempts to ruin someone’s life over false accusations." 

Ultimately, Haknyeon wants the agency and other media outlets to be held accountable regarding the issue. 

"No matter what happens, I am determined to see this through to the end to uncover the truth. I’m speaking out in the hope that this fight can be a small source of hope for someone out there," he concluded. 

On June 18, ONE HUNDRED announced the termination of Haknyeon's exclusive contracts due to issues involving his personal life. 

While the agency did not specify the issues that led to Haknyeon's termination, reports alleged that the singer had met with former Japanese porn star Kirara Asuka in Roppongi, Tokyo, in late May. According to News1 Korea, the pair reportedly got together at a bar in Tokyo along with several acquaintances.

The two were photographed getting cozy with each other and showing physical closeness, with Asuka resting her chin on Haknyeon's shoulder.

Asuka retired from the adult film industry in 2020 and has since started a new career as an influencer in Japan.

Following Haknyeon's departure, THE BOYZ is now a ten-member group comprised of Sangyeon, Jacob, Younghoon, Hyunjae, Juyeon, Kevin, New, Q, Sunwoo, and Eric. Hwall previously left the group in October 2019 after facing health issues.