Former member Woo Hyun-soo of the indie band Pumba21 has directly addressed allegations regarding his private life.
On the 9th, Woo Hyun-soo posted a lengthy message on his social media, stating, "I would like to apologize to everyone who has loved Pumba21" and added, "I am also sorry that my apology is very late." He continued, "This does not erase my mistakes, but I am writing this to correct misunderstandings about the publicized post," followed by specific explanations.
Earlier, in May, a post titled "I will publicize drummer Woo Hyun-soo of Pumba21" was uploaded online, causing an uproar. The author of the post alleged, "Woo Hyun-soo had an affair with a minor drum student, referred to as B, while he had a girlfriend," and released messages exchanged between Woo Hyun-soo and B. The author further claimed, "Woo Hyun-soo maintained contact with several fans using similar methods, some of whom were also minors."
As the controversy arose, Pumba21 chose to disband voluntarily on the 21st of the same month, but about two months later, Woo Hyun-soo came forward to clarify.
Woo Hyun-soo first addressed the relationship with the minor drum student B, stating, "Is it wrong for an adult to have a meal with a minor? I asked a doctor and indeed, we truly only had a meal together without any further conversations and parted ways." Regarding extending the lesson for free, he explained, "I was disappointed that we couldn’t finish the song, so I offered a free lesson because it felt like a waste to end it after just one month of learning."
Regarding the problematic comments such as "pretty" and "cute," he acknowledged, "I said it was cute or pretty not only to B, but to others as well," adding, "In a time when even saying 'You are beautiful' makes people uncomfortable, that is my mistake." He further stated, "It was a local event, and B expressed that she had no way to return home, so I offered to pick her up and drive her down."
In relation to the accusation of interacting with B while he was in a relationship with his girlfriend, he stated, "The contact I made on March 30th to help with drum sheets was when B said she liked me as a person. It was from then that unusual feelings developed, and that is my fault," adding, "Our meeting on April 6th was not a date but was related to the music sheets."
He continued, "During the meeting with B on April 26th, I realized my mistakes. Afterward, I also met my girlfriend on May 14th to apologize, and I sincerely apologized to B in person as well. The lack of contact and the abrupt ending is my fault."
Regarding the message referred to as 'I should have held her in a double bed,' which was flagged as sexual harassment, he stated, "That friend had stayed at my house when she came up to Seoul and had no place to stay. If it’s wrong, then it’s wrong. That was just a thought I expressed."
Concerning private messages with fans, he clarified, "It meant I wanted to see them at the concert. It's funny that liking a story could be problematic. Even if they are free audience members, I thought it would be nice to have one more," emphasizing, "I have never sincerely met for fun."
In closing, Woo Hyun-soo stated, "Once again, I apologize to those who loved Pumba21. The comments are open, so please vent and ask questions here instead of Twitter," wrapping up his remarks.
Meanwhile, around the same time, indie musician Na Sang-hyun of the band Na Sang-hyun was also involved in a sexual harassment issue. He apologized, stating, "I caused hurt to the author due to circumstances that I do not clearly remember after drinking in the past," but later his agency denied the claims, stating, "After closely reviewing the situation with the artist, we confirm that the actions mentioned in the post are not true."
[Photo] YouTube capture
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