SM Entertainment released a statement strongly denying the rumors that NCT Members Johnny and Haechan, as well as Super Junior's Heechul, are involved in a sex scandal that has gained increased scrutiny and attention both inside and outside of Korea.
Earlier this week, allegations surfaced from different social media users detailing the alleged sexual relationships of Johnny, 29, and Haechan, 23, both members of SM Entertainment's boy band NCT, with three women during of a recent visit to Tokyo in March.
As NME notes, the claims emerged from a Japanese nightlife gossip Twitter account about three women said to be working in Tokyo's nightlife industry as bar hostesses. Alleged evidence of their time with the K-pop idols emerged through photos of three women holding hotel cards where the stars were staying, interiors showing five people drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes together, and a blurry photo allegedly showing Johnny and Haechan entering the hotel with three women despite the fact that none of their faces are easily recognizable. Captions and comments from the women describing their alleged experiences, as well as alleged text message conversations about meeting the K-pop stars, were also presented as so-called evidence from the gossip account.
Johnny and Haechan have not shared anything about the alleged meetings, but NCT 127 (the nine-member boy group that both singers are also a part of under the name NCT) flew to Japan on March 8, 2024 to hold a concert on March 9. at the Tokyo Dome.
The claims quickly went viral among K-pop fans, and by Tuesday (June 4), SM Entertainment's share price had fallen from a high of 90,300 Korean won ($65.94) to 82,300 Korean won ( $60.10) — though by press time, the stock had since recovered to 85,500 Korean won ($62.44). The story even made it the evening news for KBS, Korea's national broadcaster, during a report on the decline in SM's stock price.
Super Junior's Heechul, a more senior boy group under SM that has been active for nearly 20 years, also sparked rumors after private photos of the singer with one of the women involved in the controversy hit the internet. According many blogs monitoring the situation, Heechul, 40, addressed the news on fan messaging app Dear U, denying that he has been drinking or having meals with any of SM Entertainment's young artists outside of work and that he is speaking with the company to clear up any misunderstanding.
On Wednesday (June 5), South Korea Yonhap News Agency shared a statement from SM Entertainment denying any untoward behavior by their artists. In the statement, SM called the rumors “completely false” and said they “constitute criminal acts that seriously damage artists' reputations,” per Yonhap. The company added, “We have already gathered sufficient evidence regarding numerous posts related to these matters…we will not turn a blind eye to such criminal acts and will take legal action against those involved without mercy or compromise, regardless of their nationality.”
SM Entertainment and representatives for NCT and Super Junior did not immediately respond Advertising signrequests for comment.
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