DSP Media Announces Legal Action Against Former APRIL Member Hyunjoo And Her Family

DSP Media has announced their intention to sue former APRIL member Hyunjoo’s family and friends over recent allegations that Hyunjoo had been bullied by the other APRIL members.

Warning: discussion of suicide. 

On February 28, someone who identified himself as Hyunjoo’s younger brother wrote a post alleging that Hyunjoo had been bullied by the other APRIL members. Another person claiming to be Hyunjoo’s former classmate made similar allegations. DSP Media denied all the allegations of bullying.

On March 3, DSP Media issued a statement announcing legal action against the people who made the allegations online.

Hello, this is DSP Media.

This is our official statement on the controversy about Lee Hyunjoo.

Even after the multiple posts uploaded by Lee Hyunjoo’s family and someone claiming to be her old classmate, the agency fulfilled its duties toward its artist by meeting with Lee Hyunjoo and her mother twice.

Lee Hyunjoo insisted on her one-sided claims that she was the only victim and demanded a statement that was not true. Despite this, the agency wanted to continue discussions with her. But after the person identifying himself as Lee Hyunjoo’s brother uploaded another one-sided post in the early hours of March 3, we determined that the situation could no longer be resolved through dialogue.

The agency has done its best to protect both Lee Hyunjoo and the APRIL members. But from now on, we will be taking strong legal action in both criminal and civil lawsuits against Lee Hyunjoo, as well as her family members and acquaintances who have spread these allegations online.

We apologize to all the fans who love and support our DSP Media artists. We will work toward a solution that will not put to waste the time we have spent together.

Thank you.

Earlier on March 3, the person claiming to be Hyunjoo’s younger brother shared a second post in which he criticized DSP Media’s previous response to the allegations. In response to the agency’s claim that Hyunjoo had been persuaded to become an idol despite wanting to be an actress, he said that Hyunjoo had gone to the agency several times before her debut to ask to be removed from the group because she was being bullied, not because she wanted to be an actor.

He also responded to the agency’s statement that Hyunjoo had caused difficulties for the team because of her physical and mental health. He said that after the agency had ignored Hyunjoo’s reports about bullying and persuaded her to remain with the group, the bullying had gotten worse and Hyunjoo had developed abnormal symptoms due to the stress. He claimed that when Hyunjoo had collapsed during work, the staff and members didn’t take her to the hospital right away and just left her there, and that Hyunjoo had been forced to go to hospitals and find treatment herself. He added that she had been reluctant to take the medicine prescribed because it made her sleepy and she couldn’t afford to miss practice or work.

He also addressed the agency’s statement on Hyunjoo’s eventual departure from the group, saying that the agency had given her an ultimatum to either participate in the “Tinkerbell” promotions despite her poor health or leave the group. As the bullying got worse, he wrote, Hyunjoo slept and showered at the agency instead of going back to the dorm. He said that she had attempted suicide at this point and that the agency had come to the hospital afterward and told her to go to work. Unable to go on, he wrote, she decided then and there to leave the group.

He also wrote about the agency’s claims regarding the tumbler and the shoes, saying that both items had been clearly marked as Hyunjoo’s and that the members had used them without permission and punished her when she tried to point it out. He repeated his claims that the agency had ignored Hyunjoo’s reports about bullying and that the manager had been a bystander.

He concluded by saying that he would attach his sister’s hospital documents as evidence because the agency refused to admit wrongdoing or responsibility. He added that he wanted the members and the agency to apologize and reflect on their actions.

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