By Olivia Harrison
Staff Writer
Disclaimer: This article contains descriptions of sexual assault that may be disturbing to some readers.
Korean pop star HyunA has once again shaken up the internet with her newest relationship. On Jan. 18, she took to Instagram to update her fans on her relationship status, saying she is now dating Korean singer and actor Junhyung.
The post was published amidst recent rumors about her getting back with her ex-boyfriend Dawn. HyunA’s previous relationship with Dawn caused a lot of backlash and put their careers as singers at stake for some time.
However, with the announcement of her relationship with Junhyung, fans are very displeased and have had negative reactions due to Junhyung’s involvement in a 2019 entertainment and sex scandal known as the Burning Sun Scandal.
The scandal took place in Seoul, South Korea, and involved several celebrities, including Korean idols of several boy bands such as BIGBANG, F.T. Island, CNBLUE and Highlight, which Junhyung was a member of. The scandal began on Jan. 18, 2019, when reports that a male club attendee was assaulted at the Burning Sun Nightclub in Gangnam, South Korea. The club was owned by BIGBANG member and businessman Lee Sung-Hyun, known mononymously by his stage name, Seungri.
When the Seoul Metropolitan Police investigated the incident, they found the club’s involvement in other illegal schemes as well as the alleged assault. It was found that club members and management were using spy cams and sharing non-consensual pornography online. Police corruption was also discovered with many Korean police officers being aware of the explicit material being shared.
The two big perpetrators were Seungri and singer Jung Joon-Young, who confessed to assaulting and filming sexually explicit videos of themselves and women without consent. The videos were then shared on the Korean social media app Kakao Talk. It had also been found that they had been being passed around since as early as 2015. Also present in the chatroom was HyunA’s new boyfriend Junhyung and other Korean idols.
During the investigation, Juhyung admitted his involvement in the scandal and engagement in the chatrooms.
“I never participated in something illegal such as taking hidden camera videos or sharing it. In addition, since late 2016, I have only maintained a relationship of simple greetings once in a while with Jung Joong Young… I was a silent observer to this serious problem, where my actions could have led to even more victims,” said Junhyung in 2019.
In 2021, the case came to a close, with the implicated K-pop idols being arrested and resigning from the music industry. Junhyung managed to keep a low profile, leaving Highlight and releasing a solo album “Loner,” until the recent dating announcement of him and HyunA.
Because of all this, fans were horrified and surprised by her actions, especially since HyunA has been a big advocate of women’s rights. Netizens took to social media platforms X and Reddit to display their anger.
“This is such a slap in the face to her legacy and purported morals. I am so incredibly disappointed right now,” said Reddit user @pigeon_energy.
Amidst all this, both HyunA and Junhyung’s labels and industries have declined to comment. “Because it’s a personal matter, it’s hard for us to confirm. We are not involved in the artists’ personal life,” stated the agency BLACKMADE. Consequently, netizens are flooding the media with speculation, leaving all curious about the true reasons for their relationship.
