Yakson House says company unrelated to Incheon shooting, urges public to stop speculation

Yakson House announces on its website, Tuesday, that the Incheon shooting case is a personal matter involving an individual associated with the company and is unrelated to its business operations. Captured from Yakson House website

A South Korean beauty care company has issued a statement denying any connection to a suspect involved in a recent fatal shooting in Incheon’s Songdo district, urging the public to refrain from spreading unfounded rumors.

Yakson House, a well-known aesthetic brand, released an official statement on its website on Tuesday, clarifying that the tragic incident involving a company executive's family member has nothing to do with the company’s business operations.

“This incident is related solely to the private affairs of an individual associated with our company and is entirely unrelated to our business activities and operations,” the company said. “The suspect is neither a shareholder nor an employee of our company and has no connection to our corporate affairs.”

Yakson House further said that the situation has led to operational disruptions and confusion among employees due to inquiries and media coverage.

“Inaccurate reports and rumors surrounding the incident are causing difficulties within our company,” the statement said. “We sincerely request your cooperation in ensuring that speculation and unsubstantiated claims related to this incident are no longer circulated or amplified.”

The clarification came amid the spread of online rumors suggesting the 62-year-old suspect, identified only by his surname A, was entangled in a personal dispute with his ex-wife, who was falsely described as a wealthy CEO of a famous aesthetic group.

Other claims alleged the suspect was a naturalized Chinese citizen. These rumors were widely circulated in the form of so-called “jjirasi,” or informal information bulletins.

In response, police said the allegations were “not true.” Investigations are ongoing into the motive behind the shooting, in which A killed his son, who was in his 30s, using a homemade firearm.

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, a sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.