SPIRE Entertainment has released a statement responding to allegations the agency’s CEO Kang Seong-hee verbally abused and manhandled members of boyband OMEGA X.
On October 24, South Korean news outlet SBS News uploaded a series of clips it said depicted an incident of verbal abuse and physical mistreatment Kang allegedly directed towards members of the K-pop group. On the same day, SPIRE Entertainment responded with an official statement and apology, published by Sports Chosun.
SPIRE stated that OMEGA X and Kang had been discussing the hard work that had gone into the tour following its conclusion, and “wound up airing their grievances against one another”, as translated by Soompi. “As they became worked up due to their emotions, they began raising their voices.”
“The members and the agency have currently resolved all their misunderstandings, and they ended the conversation by saying that they wanted to move forward while being considerate of each other,” it added. Read the full statement, which ended with an apology for causing fans concern, as translated by Soompi here.
The SBS clip, which was reportedly taken by a fan outside a concert venue, pictures Kang raising her voice at the boyband, saying: “Do you think losers like you could be loved by people? Are you big? You didn’t come this far on your own.”
OMEGA X member Jaehan is later seen collapsing, to which Kang responds: “Are you that exhausted? Kim Jaehan. If you’re always sick like this, stop being a singer.” She went on shouting at the idol to stand up, claiming that he was “just acting” after another member is heard saying that Kim was feeling unwell. In another clip, Kang is seen grabbing Kim by the collar at their hotel lobby.
In its report, SBS also released the recording of a phone call with Kang, who denied all allegations of verbal abuse and assault. “The person who posted [the video] on social media, they are more of an anti-fan towards the company,” Kang claimed in the phone call.
SBS’ report came shortly after a Korean fan who attended OMEGA X’s recently concluded US tour uploaded an audio clip to Twitter on October 23, claiming that Kang had been “hitting” the members at their hotel lobby. “We’re waiting for Uber to get our food outside. I saw the CEO of [OMEGA X’s] company hitting the kids,” they claimed.
Other fans then came forward claiming to have witnessed similar situations at other tour stops. One uploaded a clip of Kang allegedly “throwing tantrums” and “screaming” at OMEGA X’s staff members, which they said was taken after their New York City concert on October 4.
A Twitter thread posted by user @jsmgryu on October 4 then began to gain traction. In the thread, the user claimed that her mother had witnessed the members of OMEGA X being yelled at by a woman, now presumed to be Kang, while having breakfast at a hotel in Chile earlier that week.
According to another report by SBS News on October 24, OMEGA X were left “stranded” in the US after they did not board their scheduled flight from Los Angeles to Seoul on October 23. The news outlet claimed that after the allegations began circulating online, the members’ reservations were abruptly cancelled while their staff returned to Korea.
On October 25, SBS Star reported that the boyband had boarded a flight back to Seoul. The news outlet claimed that “the members bought their flight tickets at their own expense with the help of their parents in Korea” in order to return home.
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