K-pop fans stunned as idols face scandal

Taeil, left, and Ju Haknyeon / Xportsnews

Two former K-pop idols, Taeil of NCT and Ju Haknyeon of The Boyz, are facing intense scrutiny amid serious accusations — including sexual assault and a private meeting with a former adult film actress. With both incidents emerging on the same day, public outrage is mounting over yet another wave of controversy in the entertainment industry.

Taeil, a former member of SM Entertainment’s boy group NCT, is under investigation for allegedly participating in the sexual assault of an intoxicated woman alongside two acquaintances in June last year. According to police, the report was filed shortly after the incident, and Taeil was questioned in August before the case was forwarded to prosecutors in September. Following confirmation of the allegations, SM Entertainment announced Taeil’s departure from NCT and terminated his exclusive contract.

The charges involve a violation of the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Sexual Crimes, specifically under the classification of special quasi-rape — which applies when two or more individuals commit sexual assault against a person in a defenseless state, such as unconsciousness or severe intoxication. The severity of the charge shocked fans and the public.

During Taeil’s trial Wednesday at the Seoul Central District Court’s 26th Criminal Division, detailed accounts of the alleged assault were revealed. Prosecutors stated that on June 13 last year, Taeil and two others met a foreign national at a bar in Itaewon. After the victim became heavily intoxicated, the group moved to Bangbae-dong, where the alleged assault occurred. Due to the grave nature of the case, prosecutors have requested a prison sentence of seven years.

On the same day, Ju Haknyeon of The Boyz was caught up in a separate controversy involving a personal meeting with a former Japanese adult film actress, Asuka Kirara, which has since escalated into speculation about prostitution.

Ju’s unexpected announcement of a temporary halt in activities on Monday puzzled fans, but two days later, reports emerged that he had met the actress at a private bar in Tokyo this past May. Claims surfaced that the meeting was more than a casual encounter, with some alleging that it involved illegal activity.

In response, Ju’s agency One Hundred Label announced his departure from The Boyz and the termination of his exclusive contract. The company’s chairman personally issued a public apology.

"We humbly accept our failure to properly manage the personal conduct and attitudes of our artists," the agency said in a statement. "We take full responsibility for the recent incidents and will reinforce our ethical management systems and internal education programs."

Ju Haknyeon, however, has denied allegations of prostitution. On Wednesday, he posted a handwritten apology on his personal account, expressing remorse to fans but firmly stating, “I have never engaged in prostitution or committed any illegal acts.”

These incidents are the latest in a troubling pattern of serious misconduct involving K-pop idols. In recent years, several former stars — including Seungri of Big Bang and Choi Jong-hoon of FT Island — have also been expelled from the industry following convictions related to sexual crimes.

This article from Xportsnews is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.