Former Jannabi member Yoo Young-hyun, who left the group amid past school violence allegations, has reconciled with the victim.
On the 15th, Jannabi first disclosed the seven-year course of events related to former member Yoo Young-hyun, which occurred in 2019.
Earlier, on the 14th, Jannabi posted a long statement on their official fan cafe saying, "We promised to speak openly to everyone at the time. We pondered and worked tirelessly, and now it seems the situation is such that we can speak about it,"
Jannabi first explained the process by which Yoo Young-hyun left the group after school violence allegations emerged in May 2019, saying, "At the time, Young-hyun maintained that he did not do the listed things, but because there was classwide perpetration, which was true, Young-hyun himself felt responsible and left the team voluntarily."
They then detailed the efforts made thereafter to pursue sincere communication with the victim. They explained that they approached the matter cautiously over a long period through a mediator and prioritized respecting the victim's healing process.
The victim's letter, released together, said Yoo Young-hyun for years continuously tried to convey his sincerity, and included anecdotes such as him personally finding the actual friends who had perpetrated acts and obtaining apology letters from them. The victim said Yoo Young-hyun "deeply accepted his wrongdoing and responsibility as a bystander at the time and spent a long time reflecting on himself," and "his sincerity felt like courage and responsibility beyond a simple apology." The victim added that she was grateful to the Jannabi members who shared the responsibility and expressed forgiveness, saying, "Now I can move on to the next chapter of my life."
In this regard, Jannabi said, "We hope this 글 will at least ease the hearts of our fans who stayed by Jannabi's side and had to endure much with them," and added, "We sincerely hope that the person, Young-hyun and Jannabi can all start new lives in their respective places."
Jannabi's agency, Peponee Music, explained the reason for posting the statement, saying, "With the consent of the victim, we shared the forgiveness process, and we issued this statement in the hope that not only all parties involved but also Jannabi can be healed and move forward in their respective places."
The following is Jannabi's statement and the victim's full letter.
I am writing because I have something I want to tell everyone. This is about an event that took place in Nov. 24. At the time I promised that I would someday speak frankly. I really wanted to keep that promise. I pondered and worked tirelessly. For a long time it was something inseparable from Jannabi, and I thought it was right to let our fans, who have accompanied us through it, know. Now it seems the situation allows me to speak, so I forced myself to write this piece after a long time.
Not long ago, I received a message from the author of the post that named Yoo Young-hyun, which had been posted on Nate Pann on May 23, 19. It came through a mediator friend. It included comments about Jannabi members and was written with public disclosure in mind, so I received it cautiously. I thought through this message I could finally explain the times and what happened last Nov.
On the day the post was first made, we immediately asked Young-hyun about the authenticity of the post, and Young-hyun claimed he had not done the listed things. However, the author said there had been classwide perpetration, which was true, and Young-hyun himself felt responsible. In that situation, where he was not completely innocent, it did not seem right to publicly argue the matter through the media, and because the person involved did not want to harm the team, he chose to leave the team himself.
Afterward many things calmed down, but Young-hyun suffered for a long time, and I thought he might live the rest of his life in a state of despair. As a friend, seeing him like that made me feel this matter should not end here. I believed there was surely a way for everyone, and I trusted that if he took proper responsibility and communicated sincerely, he could one day be forgiven and things could be resolved step by step. As far as I know, I believed that path would allow Jannabi, Young-hyun and the author to each face a new future.
So, sharing our feelings, we carefully searched for a friend who could mediate over a long period, and we spent a lot of time together to convey our whole hearts step by step. As time passed and the author opened up, I was able to deliver a letter containing my feelings. I am not the person directly involved, but I gently expressed my feelings from the position I stood in, and we were able to share the stories up to that point. Even if it took more time, I wanted to show sincerity. I believe the severity of the wrongdoing lies in the heart of the person harmed, and that must be respected. Therefore, we could not rush the timing.
The Nov. 24 event I wanted to speak about happened in that context. I witnessed up close the process of apology and forgiveness, and I want to use this writing to say that the decision was made with awareness of that situation. I thought that doing something in any way that might help Young-hyun's collapsing state would be a path to improvement. Even though it was not a situation that could be immediately explained to everyone at the time, and even though I knew the sequence, my heart went ahead.
I painfully reflected on all the words fans gave me that day and spent about a year. It became an opportunity for greater self-reflection and to recognize reality. I will keep the remorse and gratitude I felt that day in a corner of my heart. I apologize once again.
I only hope this 글 will in some small way ease the hearts of our fans who stayed by Jannabi's side and had to endure much with them. I also feel sorry to fans who may have been uncomfortable that we posted this during the warm atmosphere after the year-end and New Year concerts. Because these were things I really wanted to tell you, I shamelessly wrote a long post. Thank you for reading.
Below I append the full text of the message the author sent to be posted here. I sincerely hope that with this message's disclosure the person, Young-hyun and Jannabi can all begin new lives in their respective places.
- letter from the victim -
A lot of time has passed. Because of those times I have lived with emotional scars for a long time. It may have been "childhood pranks" to someone, but to me it was a pain that changed the direction of my life. It took a lot of courage to bring up that wound, and I honestly left my feelings in writing. At the time I did not want to simply divide everything into the words "perpetrator" and "victim." Back then, because the whole class laughed at me and ignored my pain, I felt everyone was a bystander and an accomplice. Among them, one person became famous as a Jannabi member, and I could only express my wounds through that name. Much time passed after that post, and although it seemed like a wound I would never forgive or forget, I too went through a healing process and gradually was able to face the past. In that process I received an apology text from my homeroom teacher, and for years Mr. Young-hyun continuously tried to contact me and convey his sincere feelings. I felt that sincerity, and I learned that he deeply accepted his wrongdoing and responsibility as a bystander at the time and spent a long time reflecting on himself. Young-hyun went to the friends who had tormented me most directly back then and obtained handwritten apology letters and notes from them for me. Those were the friends who made that period hardest for me and made me feel weak. Young-hyun asked my acquaintance to deliver those apology letters and notes, and I heard he said he wanted to ease what I went through even a little. Hearing that and reading the letters, I cried without realizing it. Not from injustice or anger, but because a heart that had been trapped for too long loosened a bit. Those apology letters and notes, and the actions and sincerity he showed, seemed to untie knots I could not undo myself. For the first time I thought I could let go of that time. Now I know. He too was immature then, and afterward he spent a long time reflecting on himself and deeply considering the meaning of what I called "bystander and accomplice." The sincerity he showed me felt like courage and responsibility beyond a simple apology. I am deeply grateful. Thanks to his efforts, I could step out of the darkness I had held onto for a long time. I am also thankful to the Jannabi members who shared responsibility and cared during that long time. And I am grateful to 00, who always put my wounds first. I know well the situation of being everyone's friend. I will not forget that heart and I am sorry. Now I can move on to the next chapter of my life. I sincerely hope only good things come to him and the Jannabi members. May their music comfort someone, and as it did for me, reach warmly to others with pain. I too want to live like that in my place. Much time has passed, but writing again like this and becoming someone who helps others feels like the way to fully let go of that younger me. Now I am truly okay. I can say this sincerely now, so I leave these words here.<
[Photo] OSEN DB, provided by Peponee Music.
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