Indie musician Nasanghyun of the band Nasanghyun has belatedly denied the sexual assault issue.
Last month, a post appeared on an online community stating that a person had been sexually assaulted by Nasanghyun, a member of Nasanghyun's band. The writer claimed, "At a drinking party, the woman next to me pretended to be drunk and touched my thigh, and if she was impaired enough to leave her hand there, she would be surprised and say it was a mistake if I complained after realizing she wasn't drunk," and "I'm writing this based on what happened and what I heard. I apologize if it's vague because I'm worried about being identified. There's no evidence because it was a private gathering."
Although there is no concrete evidence, the truth of the post was significant since the writer pointed directly at Nasanghyun. Internet users also refrained from hasty accusations or defense while observing the situation. However, it wasn't long before Nasanghyun himself stepped forward.
On the 23rd, Nasanghyun said through X (formerly Twitter), "I deeply apologize for the delay in my response," adding, "First of all, I sincerely apologize to the writer of the post and to those who may have felt discomfort or displeasure because of my past actions."
He stated, "In the past, at a time when I could not recall specific circumstances after drinking, I caused harm to the writer. I am even more sorry for not being able to apologize directly at that time. Although I know it's late, I would like to take this opportunity to apologize. I understand it's late, but I would still like to offer my personal apology. If it's okay, please send me a personal message. I kindly ask that you refrain from any secondary harm to the writer."
Nasanghyun said, "About 3 to 4 years ago, after reflecting deeply on my actions while drinking, I have been continually working to improve with the help of those around me. In the future, I will strive to reflect more deeply and work to ensure similar incidents do not occur, and I once again apologize to the affected individual for the discomfort they experienced."
He then added, "I also apologize to everyone who has been affected by this incident. I feel particularly heavyhearted about having acted in ways that do not align with the values I have typically thought and spoken about. I will create clearer standards to uphold the values I hold dear. Once again, I express my apologies."
However, suddenly the agency launched a belated response. On the 2nd, Jae Newry (the agency) stated, "We apologize to those who have felt confusion and discomfort due to the recently exposed posts about our artist Nasanghyun. We also apologize for the delayed response due to a lack of internal protocols regarding such matters."
A representative explained, "The artist proactively released a statement based on moral responsibility shortly after the report was made public, even before sufficient verification of the facts. This response stemmed from the artist's belief that, in light of someone's claim of victimization, it is better to express an apology regarding the controversy instead of remaining silent."
However, after closely reflecting on the artist's situation, we clarify that the actions mentioned in the post are not true," emphasizing, "The time the artist referred to was during a period when the amount of alcohol consumed had increased, while he was reviewing and improving his lifestyle. We realized only after publishing the statement that this expression could be misinterpreted as an acknowledgment of the incident. I sincerely apologize for causing confusion caused by attempting to convey my feelings without sufficient explanation. This misinterpretation has affected not only the facts but also caused confusion. I deeply apologize for this."
In response, Nasanghyun's side stated, "We sincerely apologize to the fans who were surprised by our clumsy response and to the various stakeholders who have been concerned due to this matter," but also requested, "We kindly ask that you refrain from baseless speculation and defamatory comments regarding the members of the Nasanghyun band. We are currently appointing a legal representative to establish a response system. We will do our utmost to ensure that such incidents do not occur again."
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