Former member of boy band Highlight, Yong Jun-hyung, admitted to watching an illegal video sent by sex offender and former star Jung Joon-young, but only unknowingly, according to a letter Yong left on Instagram on Wednesday.

"Later, I could have said, 'Stop it, this is wrong,' but I didn't become that person and brushed it off lightly," he said.

"But as I explained then, and again, I have never been in that particular group chat and wasn't involved in the incidents that I hate to even mention," Yong said. "I ended up becoming viewed the same as those people, who I don't have any connections with."

"I clicked on the video without any explanation but a black screen, which was sent to my private messenger. Before clicking, I didn't know what it was or its intention," Yong said, without specifying the date or nature of the video.

The video that Yong mentioned was from an online chat room with multiple K-pop stars and related personnel where Jung shared numerous sex videos that he filmed without consent.

The chat room was uncovered as part of an investigation into the so-called Burning Sun scandal, a 2019 entertainment industry scandal that involved drugs, violence, sex solicitation and illegally filmed sex videos, which centered around former Big Bang member Seungri.

Yong's letter came five years after he was accused of being a member of Jung's criminal circle, after which he admitted to watching a video from Jung in March 2019. He quit his boy band Highlight at the same time, then enlisted in the military in April 2019.

He established his own agency, Black Made, in 2022, a year after he was discharged. Yong will hold a solo concert in Hong Kong on June 29.

Yong emphasized Wednesday that he was not part of the group chat, but was shared a sexually explicit video by Jung in a separate one-on-one chatroom.

"I hope my beloved family, the people I care about and all those who cared for me despite my shortcomings do not get hurt," Yong said. "I will deeply reflect on my foolish actions and words and strive every day to become a mature person."

Negative comments from netizens flooded below the post. One comment said, "Why are you apologizing to fans and saying they're okay when you watched an illegal video? You should apologize to the victim and seek forgiveness. 'Thank you fans, it's okay,' what a joke."

Another user commented, "You admitted to watching the video, so what are you trying to mitigate by doing this?"

The Burning Sun scandal drew renewed attention following Jung’s release from prison on March 19 and the release of an hourlong BBC documentary titled “Burning Sun: Exposing the Secret K-pop Chat Groups” on May 19.

Yong is one of a handful of celebrities, with the case's renewed attention, that has provided additional explanations for being involved.

Model and actor Lee Cheol-woo who appeared in the tvN drama “Lovely Runner” as Hyung-gu, a swimming student jealous of the protagonist, was accused of being involved in Jung’s notorious chat room, exposed during the Burning Sun revelations.

"I would like to reiterate that I was not included in the chat room as I had stated through my agency at the time," said Lee in a post on his social media account on May 20.

Actor Go Joon-hee also got embroiled in the Burning Sun scandal due to a photo with singer Seungri, known as one of the main perpetrators of the scandal. During the investigation, a KakaoTalk message from Seungri mentioned an actor referred to as “sister,” which led to internet speculations targeting Go.

"I don't even know where Burning Sun is, and I have never been there," said Go on the YouTube show "Have Breakfast 2" on Tuesday. “I have denied it all these years, but no one cared enough to listen to me.”

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BY KIM MIN-YOUNG [kim.minyoung5@joongang.co.kr]