The controversy surrounding Haknyeon’s prostitution scandal and exit from THE BOYZ continues to escalate. The K-pop idol and the agency ONE HUNDRED have come forward with conflicting claims. K-pop fans are now feeling confused about who to trust in this situation.
It all began with his hiatus for “personal reasons” on June 16, which raised eyebrows. However, fans were not prepared for what was coming a couple of days later. A Japanese media outlet Shukan Bunshun accused him of paying money to sleep with Japanese AV actress Asuka Kirara, which constitutes prostitution under Korean law.
The day the news publicly broke (June 18), ONE HUNDRED released a statement to remove him from the group, stating it would be difficult to maintain trust in the artist. On the same day, Haknyeon denied prostitution allegations and apologized to fans for causing concern.
However, the controversy continued to escalate as the complaint was filed on June 19, demanding investigation into the claims. The Seoul Gangnam Police’s Women and Youth Division have begun investigating the claims as you read.
On June 20, Haknyeon shared a lengthy statement on his Instagram, vehemently denying the serious allegation and vowing legal action against the agency and the media outlets publishing malicious articles and rumors.
“Up until now, I have quietly endured, believing that the truth would be revealed. But in the face of attempts to bury me under the pretext of things I didn’t do, I felt that I could no longer remain silent.
I intend to hold the agency accountable to the end for unjustly expelling me from the team and asserting contract termination without any basis.
I also intend to hold some media outlets accountable for mentioning prostitution with unconfirmed facts and causing me harm.
Whatever happens, I intend to go to the very end to reveal the truth.”
Haknyeon, June 20, 2025
Shortly after his statement, ONE HUNDRED released their official position, stating that his exit was fair. The statement reads
Hello, this is ONE HUNDRED.
We express our deep regret regarding Ju Haknyeon’s one-sided false claims.
First, we recognized that this issue could cause serious damage to the team’s activities, which led us to make the decision to suspend Ju Haknyeon’s activities.
After thoroughly reviewing the situation, we fully informed Ju Haknyeon that this matter constitutes grounds for contract termination under Article 6, Section 3 of the exclusive contract, which refers to “acts that damage the dignity of a public culture and arts figure to the extent that it interferes with entertainment activities,” and made our decision accordingly.
We clearly state that the termination of Ju Haknyeon’s exclusive contract was carried out in accordance with the terms specified in the contract, being a fair duly founded action.
At the heart of this issue is Ju Haknyeon’s attempt to avoid responsibility with his repeated distorted claims. Should these claims continue, we will take all necessary legal measures to ensure that our affiliated artists and the company are not harmed, and we will submit all supporting materials and evidence to the judicial authorities.
Following this statement, we will not issue any further responses to Ju Haknyeon’s false claims.
In addition, THE BOYZ’s activities, excluding Ju Haknyeon, will continue as scheduled, and we will do our utmost to protect the honor and rights of the remaining members.
Thank you.
ONE HUNDRED, June 20, 2025
Police investigations are expected to reveal a clearer and more accurate picture of the incident, including whether any money was exchanged for sexual services. If found guilty, Haknyeon could face up to one year in prison and a fine of up to 3 million won.
