TEMPEST’s Hwarang temporarily suspends group activities after getting embroiled in a controversy.
On March 6, Yuehua Entertainment made an announcement stating that TEMPEST Hwarang will be temporarily suspending their activities due to privacy concerns.
The group has been having extensive discussions with the company about their future activities, taking into account the privacy-related issues that have recently come to light through social media.
The agency mentioned, “During this process, Hwarang was unable to regain trust,” and added, “We decided that it would be difficult to continue activities as a full team under these circumstances.”
As for the promotions for TEMPEST’s 5th mini album TEMPEST Voyage, they will proceed with a lineup of 6 members, excluding Hwarang.
The agency has requested understanding, mentioning that there might be some filming involving Hwarang for pre-filming and production purposes only. They also expressed apologies for causing concern with this sudden news.
In mid-February, Hwarang faced controversy regarding a video call autograph session with fans. When a fan mentioned seeing something at a club, Hwarang responded defensively, “Did you see it then? Are you the one who saw it? I didn’t do anything bad.”
Furthermore, the video revealed details about Hwarang’s private life, including frequent visits to clubs with other idols.
Yuehua Entertainment expressed their apologies, stating, “The content spread on social media is different from the truth,” and “We are deeply reflecting on Hwarang’s visit to the location.”
On another note, TEMPEST is set to make a comeback with their album TEMPEST Voyage at 6 PM on March 11.