K-pop it seems is more than just the bright colourful videos and perfect-looking idols, and has problems just like any other industry. This is not to say that only the K-pop industry is some evil factory that’s just churning out artists, because literally, every single music industry has its own horror stories and bad sections.
K-pop industry is not some anomaly in this, abuse, harassment, child labour, media play, unfair contracts, and more are unfortunately common in practically every media industry, but nonetheless, when such things do come to light it is always a truly heartbreaking because it involves probably innocent artists abused by people in power.
The recent case of the K-pop group OMEGA X and its CEO that has been accused of verbal and physical abuse to its members, specifically Kim Jaehan is quite shocking.
But what exactly is going on?
OMEGA X, The CEO And The Members
OMEGA X is a K-pop group including 11 members, made up entirely of idols that have already made their debut in groups that have now disbanded. The members are namely Jaehan, Hwichan, Sebin, Hangyeom, Taedong, Xen, Jehyun, Kevin, Jung-hoon, Hyuk and Yechan.
They made their debut together as a group with the EP ‘Vamos’ in June 2021 and were currently on their first global concert tour called “Connect: Don’t Give Up”. The event that kickstarted it all was when the group closed the tour in Los Angeles on Saturday and were getting ready to fly back home to Seoul on Sunday.
On 23rd October, some videos were posted online and one Twitter user @hwi_418 wrote about how they allegedly “saw the agency CEO hitting the [OMEGA X members]” while they were waiting outside for their Uber food delivery.
In an audio clip attached, according to translations, a woman can be heard angrily saying “Have you ever done that for me? When I was going through such a hard time, did he ever take care of me?” Responding to something unintelligible said by a male person she again yells “Hey, who do you think you are?!”
When someone says “But he’s on the verge of collapsing,” she replies with “I’ve collapsed before!” and even when there is a sound of something or a person falling loudly startling people, she just says “Get up.”
On 24th October, SBS Entertainment News released video footage of what seems to be SPIRE Entertainment’s CEO who is referred to as Kang shouting at OMEGA X’s members. A Twitter user translated the video released and what is being said in it.
TW/ verbal, physical abuse
I translated the video that SBS released showing CEO Kang verbally and physically abusing Omega X members especially in this video the victim is Kim Jaehan.#PROTECTOMEGAX #OMEGA_X pic.twitter.com/mLs3jteY3V
— ღkai·ᴗ· (@foroxjaehan) October 24, 2022
It seems this is not the first time that the members have been abused in public, since early in October a Twitter post had gone viral where an individual recounted witnessing a woman yelling at the members while they were in Chile.
Twitter user @jsmgryu in a Twitter thread recounted the incident saying
“hi, so i’m not a fan of omega x and i don’t know them well but i would like to talk about something my mom told me about what happened yesterday at the airport. idk if i can talk about this here but i think it’s important to do so.
my mom was in chile for holidays (we’re from argentina) and she was coming back on monday, but the flight got cancelled so she had to stay at the hotel there (where omega x was staying as well).
when she was having breakfast, she saw two boys (members of omega x) that were being yelled at by a woman (who she believes [is their] manager or something like that).
she thought that maybe they were celebrities because they had their faces all covered with caps and masks. so then she found out they were from a kpop group called omega x.
after that she saw them again in the airport, while waiting for the flight, and the same woman was yelling at them in front of everyone. my mom and her friends couldn’t believe it and she told the woman to stop yelling at them.
then the woman left and nothing else happened, but she told me the members bowed at her as a thank you. when i’ve heard about it i was really stunned and my mom told me she felt really bad for them, they looked also very respectful and kind.
i really can’t believe how the company doesn’t do anything about this and i’ve also read about the situation with their tour. actually my mom told me to make a complaint to the company because they cannot be treated like this.
i’m not familiar with the group so i don’t know what to do exactly but i wanted to let the fans know about this. please help spread this so we can stop these situations [from happening] ever again.”
Read More: The Risks Of Being A Female K-Pop Idol
Efforts By Fans
Fans have been posting and bringing out more and more stuff said by not just Twitter posts, but claims made by other employees, translators taken on during the concert and more using #ProtectOmegaX.
On 24th October, SPIRE Entertainment released the following statement after asking fans to wait till they check into the facts of the matter.
“This is SPIRE Entertainment, the agency of boy group OMEGA X.
First, we bow our heads in deep apology for having caused concern through this unpleasant news. OMEGA X wrapped up their first world tour “CONNECT : Don’t give up” with their LA concert in the United States on October 22 (local time). The incident that has caused a controversy after being revealed on social media occurred after a meal that took place after the end of [OMEGA X’s] tour, which started on September 16 in Mexico’s Guadalajara and lasted over a month until their LA concert in the United States.
At the time, having completed the tour, the OMEGA X members and the agency were talking about how hard they had respectively worked up until then, in order to make plans for the future. In the process, they wound up airing their grievances against one another, and as they became worked up due to their emotions, they began raising their voices. The conversation continued even after the meal, but by continuing their discussions, 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.
The past month, during which OMEGA X and the agency went on tour, and during which we personally met and communicated with the fans who love us, was a deeply meaningful time that can never be replaced. Everyone worked hard together with the same goal in order to keep our promise to our fans, and we bow our heads in apology for ending it on a bad note.
Once again, our agency would like to take this opportunity to thank the fans who give this much love to OMEGA X. Just as their group’s name bears the meaning “From the first time we meet our fans to the final moment in which we achieve our dreams, we will realize a wide array of values,” our agency will protect the values created by OMEGA X and their fans up until the very end.
Once again, we apologize for having given you cause for concern.”
It seems that the issue not did end there, as claims were made that Kang was verbally abusing the bandmates even when they got to the hotel and were waiting for the elevator. SBS also reported that the members’ flight back home was cancelled just a few hours after the abuse allegations were made.
Speaking with Kang, SBS quoted her explaining this as “We’d been discussing the cancellation for three days because the members might have to board the flight with fans,” and added, “It’s not true that the members are being detained in the US.”
She also claimed that the allegations were made by an anti-fan and that “I was distressed from pulling all-nighters for days and working so hard that I had a nosebleed, but the bandmates wouldn’t comfort me or care for me, and I’d become frustrated. But I usually treat them with much respect.”
Even when the members did get to fly back home, reports said that several of the members had to pay for their own tickets with the company not having already booked it for them.
Image Credits: Google Images
Feature Image designed by Saudamini Seth
Sources: NME, The Korea Herald, Soompi
Find the blogger: @chirali_08
This post is tagged under: OMEGA X CEO, kpop, kpop band, omega x kpop, omega x ceo abuse, kpop abuse, kpop band abuse, harassment, abuse, viral, #ProtectOmegaX, kim jaehan, kim jaehan kpop, kim jaehan omega x, kim jaehan omega x abuse
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