K-pop star Yong Jun-hyung breaks silence on Jung Joon-young scandal
K-pop artist Yong Jun-hyung has broken his silence on his involvement in the Jung Joon-young scandal. The singer took to Instagram to clarify that he was not part of the "Jung Joon-young group chat room," which was notorious for sharing illicit videos. He stated, "I have never entered a group chat room, nor have I been involved in an incident where something unspeakable happened." However, he acknowledged the inappropriate nature of the conversation and his failure to address it.
Why does this story matter?
In 2019, Yong was implicated in the scandal involving illicitly recorded videos shared by Jung. Following this, he departed from the K-pop group Highlight. At a solo comeback press conference in 2022, Yong admitted to receiving a video from Jung but denied being part of any group chat rooms. With the recent release of a BBC documentary on the scandal, the matter has regained spotlight, with netizens investigating links of other idols who didn't get convicted, like Zico and Yong.
Yong expressed regret and reflection on past actions
Yong revealed he'd received the video without context and realized what it was after clicking on it. He wrote, "'Stop it, this is wrong.' I could have said that, but I wasn't the type of person to say such things, so I just ignored it." "I didn't have the confidence to bring up the past and talk about it again, and I couldn't muster the courage to think that it would just pass. I spent all this time ignoring it."
'Will work hard every day to become a mature person'
Despite the past controversies, Yong expressed his commitment to personal growth and maturity. He stated, "I hope that everyone, including my family and people I love and cherish, and the fans who look at me for my shortcomings, do not get hurt." The singer also added, "I deeply reflect on the things I failed to correct in the past and the foolish actions and remarks I made." "I will work hard every day to become a mature person," he concluded.
