The band Jannabi is facing criticism after it was revealed that they continued to work with Yoo Younghyun, a former member who left the group in 2019 due to a school bullying controversy.

On November 13, Jannabi’s agency, Pepo Music, issued an apology through a fan cafe notice, announcing that they would no longer collaborate with Yoo Younghyun, who had been working as a sound engineer.

The agency's CEO, Choi Jeongjun, expressed regret, saying, "The process of sharing this matter with fans was mishandled. We made poor decisions and didn’t respond properly, which disappointed many fans."

Yoo Younghyun had admitted to allegations of school violence back in May 2019, which led to his departure from the band. Despite this, he continued to work as a sound engineer for the group until recently. The situation grew worse when fans voiced their concerns, and the agency’s decision to remove these fans from the fan cafe only fueled the anger.

CEO Choi attempted to defend the band, stating, "We never tried to hide or cover up this issue. However, due to ongoing matters with Yoo's past actions, we planned to address everything once those issues were resolved." Despite this explanation, fans’ anger did not calm down.

Band member Choi Jeonghoon also apologized, saying, "I sincerely apologize for trying to bring him back as a staff member in an improper way."

Jannabi, which was formed in 2011, originally included Yoo Younghyun, Choi Jeonghoon, and Kim Dohyeong.

They later expanded to a five-member group before Yoo Younghyun’s departure in 2019. The band faced further challenges when Yoon Gyeol left in 2021 following allegations of assault, and Jang Gyeongjun took a break from activities after getting married.

Source (1)

NewJeans' Minji touched fans' hearts with a handwritten letter on her birthday — even while the group is currently unable to promote due to legal issues.

On May 7, Minji celebrated her birthday by sharing a heartfelt message on the group’s personal SNS account, which the members opened themselves to stay connected with fans.

Minji began her letter with honesty, writing, “I think I’m living a busier life than I expected. When I finally looked up, it was already May, and it was my birthday.”

She admitted that she had a lot she wanted to say, but her thoughts felt “messy.” Still, her message to fans was clear, “I just hope that I, our members, and Bunnies can all be happy. Happiness is the biggest goal in my life.”

Minji then opened up about her personal journey and struggles, saying, “I sometimes think that running toward my happiness by doing what I love might look foolish to others. But isn’t giving up your happiness now for the sake of a future that might not even come… too harsh on yourself?”

Despite everything, she ended on a hopeful note, “I really miss the times when we shared our feelings through the good music we made together. But I always look forward to what’s ahead."

She added, "We didn’t stop here, and we’re not going to stop! It might look like we’re standing still, but I believe we’re growing deeper.”

Her message comes during a difficult time for NewJeans. The group announced last year that they were cutting ties with ADOR, their original agency, after trust was broken. They later began working independently under the new name ‘NJZ’.

However, ADOR responded with legal action — claiming the exclusive contract with NewJeans was still valid and asking the court to stop the group from promoting or signing deals.

The court sided with ADOR and granted an injunction, forcing NewJeans to pause their activities. Their appeal was rejected, and they’ve now filed a second appeal.

Through it all, Minji’s message proves one thing — even when forced to stop, NewJeans' hearts are still moving forward.

Source: [1]