Asian Junkie Asian pop. Without discretion.
Following multiple allegations of bullying against Stray Kids member Hyunjin, JYP Entertainment has released a statement following their investigation into the allegations.
Essentially, the company says that there are varying perspectives on what happened, but there were people who Hyunjin hurt. They say that Hyunjin has met up with those people and apologized.
We listened to the situation of that time from the fellow students who attended the same school as the member, teachers, and surrounding people, and with the permission of those who wrote the posts, we directly met up with them and listened to their opinions. Combining the information from various people, their memories of that time are completely different from each other, so there was some difficulty in clearly confirming any of the facts. However, there are people who were hurt by Hyunjin’s immature and improper actions in the past. Hyunjin deeply regrets and reflects on himself regarding this, so he met up directly with those who wrote the posts and sincerely apologized. For resolving misunderstandings with Hyunjin, for accepting his sincere apology, and for showing support for his future, we once again express sincere gratitude.
JYPE also expressed apologies to anybody else who may have been hurt by him in a sorta blanket statement.
If there are any others who were unable to be reached but have been hurt by Hyunjin’s actions in the past, we express apologies. Hyunjin has resolved to live properly while always self-reflecting from now on, and we will also pay extra effort for our artist to go down the correct path.
So effectively, without going into detail on exactly what he did or didn’t do, he apologized to those with connection to the bullying scandal, which seems to be copping to at least part of the allegations if not most of them.
Following this, Hyunjin personally wrote an apology on Instagram, essentially just expressing remorse.
First of all, I sincerely apologize to those who were hurt by my improper actions during my school years. Looking back on times when I was more lacking, I am embarrassed and have no excuse. I have realized that my actions and words that did not know how to be considerate of others have hurt others. It is too late, but I will deeply reflect on myself. Whether it was intended or not, I don’t think I can be forgiven at all for giving unforgettable to pain to someone. I am deeply reflecting on myself as I know well that just because I apologized and they accepted the apology doesn’t mean that the pain I gave in the past will be erased entirely. Although this is shameless, I want to express gratitude to those who were hurt by me for allowing me to directly meet them to belatedly apologize and ask for forgiveness through this letter. If there happen to be others who have been hurt by my improper actions during my school years who I cannot meet directly, I want to express my apologies at least through writing like this. I sincerely apologize for causing deep disappointment to the many people who have supported me.
While Hyunjin’s apology is written quite properly, the underlying issue is the lack of details as to what was or wasn’t done. Given that both the company and him are apologizing, it’s probably most reasonable to assume it’s not flattering since otherwise they wouldn’t be vague, but the fact that they are allows fans to handwave it, which is why being specific can be important.
But of course Hyunjin’s future in the industry will primarily depend on how fans react. Obviously I believe people can grow, especially when we’re talking about early teens, and if the victims themselves feel comfortable moving forward, then I don’t think I’m one to determine whether he should quit or whatever else. But whatever fans want to do looks fair at this point, and if he continues on then hopefully actions will back up his words.
