Police dismiss alleged prostitution case of THE BOYZ ex-member Ju Haknyeon
The alleged prostitution case against South Korean singer Ju Haknyeon has now been dismissed by police.
In a report by the Korea JooAng Daily, the former member of boy band THE BOYZ has been cleared of the allegations by the Gangnam Police Precinct, and his case will no longer move forward to prosecutors.
Haknyeon was initially suspected of violating the country's Act on the Punishment of Arrangement of Commercial Sex Acts after he was spotted meeting up with former Japanese porn star Kirara Asuka in Roppongi, Tokyo in late May.
The pair reportedly got together at a bar in Tokyo along with several acquaintances. They were photographed getting cozy with each other and showing physical closeness, with Asuka resting her chin on Haknyeon's shoulder.
After the incident made waves online, THE BOYZ’s agency ONE HUNDRED terminated Haknyeon's exclusive contracts and stated that it was no longer possible for them to "maintain the trust in [Haknyeon] as an artist" after they had "come to recognize the seriousness of this issue."
"As soon as we were informed of issues involving Ju Haknyeon’s private life, our company immediately suspended his activities and took time to thoroughly verify the facts," the agency said.
Haknyeon was subsequently slapped with a complaint by a private individual who requested an investigation into the prostitution suspicions. However, police decided to dismiss it as there were insufficient grounds to continue the investigation, as the complainant merely submitted online news articles as evidence.
The complainant has criticized the dismissal, per a report from Koreaboo.
"In the past, there were several cases where agencies launched formal investigations into cases based on media reports. This case is also reported on the same standards, and it is a shame that the police decided to dismiss the case simply because the requirements to start one were insufficient," the accuser said.
"I would like to make it clear that since the authorities have not determined that the accusation is false, it does not meet the legal requirements for a false accusation," they added.
While Haknyeon has yet to give a reaction to the dismissal, the music artist previously denied the allegations of prostitution and claimed that his departure from the group and termination of his contract were a unilateral decision made without his consent.
Haknyeon stressed that he "has not engaged in any illegal activities" such as prostitution and will pursue all possible civil and criminal legal action regarding the matter.
Asuka similarly quashed rumors of her involvement with Haknyeon as well as claims that she engaged in prostitution. She had retired from the adult film industry in 2020 and has since started a new career as an influencer in Japan.
