A reporter who published allegations about the private life of Ju Hak-nyeon, a former member of the K-pop boy band The Boyz, has been indicted.

The Seoul Western District Prosecutors' Office indicted an entertainment reporter, identified only by the surname Choi, without detention on charges of defamation on May 12, according to legal sources on Tuesday.

Choi is accused of publishing an article in June of last year claiming that Ju had engaged in prostitution with Asuka Kirara, a Japanese entertainer and former adult video actress. The article also alleged that Ju initially denied the accusation but later admitted to it after his agency presented specific evidence.

Ju’s exclusive contract with agency One Hundred Label was abruptly terminated after the report was released, effectively also kicking him out of The Boyz.

In response, Ju wrote on social media, “I will hold accountable to the very end the reporter and media outlet that portrayed me as a sex offender without any evidence,” adding, “I have filed a criminal complaint against the reporter for publishing false reports.”

Ju was cleared of all the allegations in July of last year as his case was not referred to prosecutors due to insufficient grounds to continue the investigation.



This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY KIM JI-HYE. [lee.jian@joongang.co.kr]