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| NCT's Lucas / Courtesy of SM Entertainment |
By Dong Sun-hwa
Lucas, a Hong Kong-born member of K-pop boy group NCT, has put his musical activities on hold after online users who identified themselves as his ex-girlfriends accused him of gaslighting and cheating.
The singer, 22, made an apology on Wednesday, two days after the allegation was first raised.
"I want to offer my sincere apology to those who have been hurt by my misconducts," he wrote in Chinese on his Instagram. "I want to express my apology in person, if I am given an opportunity. What I did in the past was wrong and irresponsible. I will make sure that an incident like this does not reoccur … I will go on a hiatus (from today) to take time to reflect on myself."
On Aug. 23, a Korean fan, who claimed to be Lucas's ex-girlfriend, insisted she was manipulated by the K-pop star over the past few years when they were dating. She added he also used her for money and presents. Following her accusation, however, two more Chinese fans brought similar allegations to the fore, claiming the K-pop star cheated on them.
In the wake of the controversy, NCT's management company SM Entertainment also issued a statement.
"We are sorry for fueling concerns over Lucas's personal matter," read the statement. "Since we are aware of the seriousness of this issue, we have decided to halt the release of content involving Lucas."
According to SM, Lucas and his bandmate Hendery were initially set to put out the new single, "Jalapeno" on Aug. 25.
"Lucas is deeply reflecting on himself for failing people," the company added. "We also feel a deep sense of responsibility for the lack of artist management."
Lucas, also known as Wong Yuk-hei, debuted as part of NCT in 2018. He is also a member of NCT's Chinese sub-unit WayV and SuperM, a group made up of seven members from SM's boy bands including EXO, SHINee and NCT.
