Former The Boyz member Joohaknyeon, embroiled in allegations of engaging in prostitution with a Japanese adult film actress, pointed out the unfair demands and attitudes of his agency while reiterating his position.
On the 20th, Joohaknyeon stated on social media, "Despite already stating clearly that I have not engaged in any illegal acts, I will take all legal action, both civil and criminal, against some journalists and media outlets that continue to write malicious articles."
Joohaknyeon claimed, "If there is evidence that I engaged in prostitution, please disclose it immediately. Additionally, I have not withdrawn from the team, nor have I agreed to terminate my exclusive contract," and added, "The agency is trying to make it seem as though there are grounds for termination, even though there are none specified in the contract, while some media are defaming me without any basis by mentioning prostitution."
According to Joohaknyeon, the agency demanded compensation of more than 2 billion won and told him to leave the company, but he did not accept this. Nevertheless, the agency informed the media that the contract had been terminated, emphasizing that this is a clear falsehood. Joohaknyeon stated, "I want to ask if it is really the agency's attitude, which should protect artists, to unilaterally expel me from the team just because I sat with a famous person in a private setting and to pressure me into contract termination while mentioning compensation of more than 2 billion won."
Joohaknyeon added, "I'm very scared, but I think that if I bend here, this society could become a place where those who have nothing can be brought down for things they did not even do. I want to hold accountable the agency that unlawfully expelled me from the team and claims contract termination without any basis, and some media outlets that mention prostitution based on unverified facts and cause harm."
On the 18th, it was reported that Joohaknyeon met with former AV actress Asuka Kirara at a private bar in Tokyo, Japan, at the end of last month. According to a query from the Japanese media Shūkan Bunshun, Joohaknyeon visited a bar in Roppongi with acquaintances on the night of the 19th and stayed at the drinking venue until the early morning, where he was with Asuka Kirara. It is reported that Joohaknyeon and Asuka Kirara were seen hugging and resting their chins on each other's shoulders.
The agency, One Hundred, stated, "As soon as we received reports that Joohaknyeon was involved in a personal issue, we took measures to suspend his activities and took time to carefully verify the facts. As a result, we took the seriousness of the matter heavily and clearly recognized that it would be difficult to maintain trust as an artist. Therefore, after sufficient discussions with the other members of The Boyz, we ultimately confirmed Joohaknyeon's departure from the team and the termination of his exclusive contract."
Joohaknyeon refuted, "On 2025.5.30., I was with acquaintances at a drinking gathering, and while it is true that I was present, I did not engage in prostitution or any illegal acts as mentioned in articles or rumors. I deeply regret my actions, and I sincerely want to apologize to those who may have been surprised."
Below is Joohaknyeon's full statement
Hello, this is Joohaknyeon.
I have already stated clearly that I have not engaged in any illegal acts, yet I will take all legal action, both civil and criminal, against some journalists and media outlets that continue to write malicious articles.
If there is evidence that I engaged in prostitution, please disclose it immediately.
Additionally, I have not withdrawn from the team.
I have also not agreed to the termination of my exclusive contract.
The agency is trying to make it seem as though there are grounds for termination, even though there are none specified in the contract,
and is attempting to frame it as if there are grounds for termination.
Some media are defaming me without any basis by mentioning prostitution.
The agency demanded compensation of more than 2 billion won and told me to leave the company,
but I have never accepted this.
Nevertheless, the agency informed the media that the contract had been terminated.
This is a clear falsehood.
Just because I sat with a famous person in a private setting
I was unilaterally expelled from the team,
and they are pressuring me into contract termination while mentioning compensation of more than 2 billion won.
I want to ask whether this is truly the attitude of an agency that should protect artists.
When I did not accept the termination of my contract, the agency,
ignored the procedures specified in the contract
and sent me a notice via certified mail stating that the contract was terminated due to my fault.
They even warned me about compensation for damages.
It is truly very scary.
However, if I bend here,
I think eventually this society could become a place where those who have nothing can be brought down for things they did not do.
I have believed that the truth would be revealed and have quietly endured until now.
However, in the face of attempts to bury a person using accusations of things that I did not even do,
I felt that I can no longer remain silent.
I was unfairly expelled from the team,
and the agency is claiming contract termination without any basis,
and I intend to hold accountable those media outlets that mention prostitution based on unverified facts and cause harm.
No matter what happens, I intend to go all the way to uncover the truth.
I hope this fight can be a small hope for someone, and I muster my courage.
[OSEN]
어떻게 되든, 저는 진실을 밝히기 위해 끝까지 가보려 합니다.
이 싸움이 누군가에게 작은 희망이 될 수 있기를 바라며, 용기를 냅니다.
[OSEN]