Xdinary Heroes GUNIL Leaves Group Following 'Harsh Remarks About Fans' Controversy

GUNIL (real name Goo Gun-il), the leader of the group Xdinary Heroes, has left the team and terminated his exclusive contract with agency JYP Entertainment following allegations that he made harsh remarks and spoke ill of fans during a private call.

JYP Entertainment stated in an official release on the 13th, "Our company deeply recognizes the seriousness of the situation regarding the recent issues involving member GUNIL, and we have had sufficient multi-faceted discussions with the artist." The agency added, "As a result, we determined that it is no longer possible to continue group activities together, and we have mutually agreed to terminate his exclusive contract," announcing that GUNIL is withdrawing from Xdinary Heroes and concluding his activities with the team as of today.

The agency expressed apologies for causing concern to fans with the sudden news and explained that Xdinary Heroes will continue activities as a 5-member lineup moving forward. They also shared their policy to provide multi-faceted support so that the remaining members can steadily focus on their musical activities.

Born in 1998, GUNIL majored in drums at Berklee College of Music in the United States and has served as the drummer and team leader since Xdinary Heroes debuted on December 6, 2021. At the time of their debut, the agency introduced GUNIL as a leader equipped with both skill, character, and leadership.

Prior to this announcement of departure, controversies surrounding GUNIL spread rapidly online.

Controversy grew after a post by an anonymous author claiming to be GUNIL's former romantic partner was published on an online community. The author raised a stir by repeatedly claiming to have heard harsh remarks from GUNIL, such as wanting to slap fans in the face, and exposing that they felt uncomfortable with the discrepancy between his actual personality and the image portrayed on broadcasts.

JYP Entertainment did not separately comment on the specific details or truth of the controversy.

(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Kyung-youn)