Fan Community Calls For Choi Jong Hoon's Departure From FTISLAND

Some fans of FTISLAND have called for Choi Jong Hoon to be removed from the band following his recent controversy.

On March 13, a statement was posted on the DC FTISLAND Gallery demanding Choi Jong Hoon’s withdrawal from the band. They mentioned the current crimes linked to Choi Jong Hoon, which included drunk driving, police bribery, illegal filming, and sharing of illicit videos.

The post also criticized FNC Entertainment for only addressing the issue of accusations of sexual escort services in a previous statement, and not including any mention of the illegal videos. In addition, the fans said that Choi Jong Hoon not only hasn’t offered a sincere apology and promise for self-reflection, he also has not personally spoken at all about the issue to the public or fans.

It was written in the statement, “As a leader, he has disgraced FTISLAND’s image and is expected to negatively affect their activities. We strongly demand as of March 13, 2019 that Choi Jong Hoon be removed, not suspended, from the group.”

Not all fans agree with the statement, and the online community is not a representative of the fandom as a whole.

Earlier on the same day, Choi Jong Hoon’s agency FNC Entertainment stated that Choi Jong Hoon has confirmed a drunk driving incident from 2016, while the label also stated that he had not paid the police for the incident to kept out of the media. However, messages between Choi Jong Hoon, Jung Joon Young, Seungri, and more reported by SBS’s “8 O’Clock News” that evening showed a discussion of a payment made to keep the issue quiet. He has also been speculated to be included in group chatrooms where illicit sexual videos of women were shared.

FNC stated that Choi Jong Hoon will be cooperating with police investigations and will halt all activities for the time being.

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