MEAWW.COM / ENTERTAINMENT / K-POP NEWS

2 more trainees share 1st-gen idol CEO's assault, fans sure it’s H.O.T's Jang Woohyuk

The first victim has accused an idol-turned-CEO of hitting him regularly till he gave up on his dream of becoming an artist

K-pop Twitter was first shocked when on June 7 a former K-pop trainee shared that he had been physically assaulted by his old agency’s CEO. The alleged victim made an anonymous post claiming that the CEO was a popular first-gen male idol and used to hit his trainees. OP (original poster) revealed that in one incident, the CEO slapped him six times and then hit his head twice. These assaults were regular and took place in 2016 to the point that OP gave up on his dreams of becoming an idol. And now two more former trainees have corroborated OP’s claims.

OP had said that he just wanted an apology as six years had passed but he was still traumatized by his time in the company. The post has since gone viral which led to two more Knetizens speaking up. One user commented on the post that it seemed like the same company when they were a trainee, “That looks like the company that I used to be part of. I also was assaulted and verbally abused.”

READ MORE
Is AB6IX's Donghyun dating? K-pop fans say 'good for him' after viral photo sparks rumors

EXCLUSIVE | BLANK2Y open up on K-pop debut preparations with album ‘K2Y I: Confidence’

2 former trainees share similar experiences

Another former K-pop trainee has also confirmed that it sounded like their former agency, “That time was the worst memory that I don't even want to think of anymore. I know how hard it is, I really hope that you can get over your trauma.” With two more trainees sharing experiences similar to that of the first alleged victim, fans hope that the CEO is revealed so that they do not tarnish the name of an innocent person with speculation.

Since there aren't many first-gen idols who are also CEOs of K-pop companies, fans are trying to guess who OP is talking about. Many had wondered if the CEO was Shinhwa’s Andy or H.O.T’s Jang Woohyuk who were some of the most popular K-pop idols in the late 90s and then founded their own talent agencies. A blurred photo of OP in the practice room in 2016 has now fans finding similarities with the practice room of WH Entertainment, Jang Woohyuk’s company.

‘It’s so terrible’

One fan tweeted, “Someone says that it’s H.O.T Jang Woohyuk.” With those speculating that it was Andy, one fan commented, “With the evidence being brought up, it's not Andy. The practice room posted is not in potmed. Knetz said it was Jang Woohyuk (from H.O.T) ... but 1 thing's for sure, at the least for now, it's not Andy.” Another posted, “It’s so terrible to read about assault happening in the industry, but it’s very brave of that trainee to come forward. Especially since it seems they are male(?) the stigma must be much worse.”

A user said, “Oof 😬😬 i can think of two companies that fit the bill right off the bat.” A fan was shocked, “I leave for a day and suddenly woohyuk is beating people up what the F**K.” One added, “I hope they just say who it is so that innocent people wont be speculated.”

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.