[SBS Star] Yong Jun-hyung Addresses Rumors on His Involvement in Illegal Camera Footage Scandal

K-pop artist Yong Jun-hyung, formerly a member of K-pop boy group Highlight, addressed rumors of his involvement in a group chat with illegal camera footage.

On June 12, Yong Jun-hyung shared a post on social media regarding rumors about him.

"Back then, I was foolish and made mistakes. I didn't fix what was wrong. With all the heated criticism, I was afraid and didn't know the right path. I didn't want my agency and the members of Highlight to get hurt because of me. So, I left the group I've been a part of for several years and meant everything to me, determined to lose everything I had.", he wrote.
"I received the video on my private messenger with no explanation attached. It was just a black screen before I clicked. I didn't know what it was or what it was for until I watched the video.", the singer noted, adding, "Perhaps I could have said, 'That's not right, stop doing that.', but I didn't. I moved on without giving it much thought."

"But as I said back then and repeated later on, I had no involvement in that group chat or the scandal that unfolded, where things that I don't even want to mention happened.", he emphasized.

"For years, there have been numerous mentions of me in the media and beyond, that I was part of the scandal, that I was in the group chat, and that I consumed those videos. Reports about me made it seem like I belong to a certain group of people I have nothing to do with, even though I explained the parts that weren't true."
"All this time, I've been trying to ignore the issue, hoping it would eventually pass. I didn't have the courage to revisit the issue and recall past events."

"I'm okay getting hurt and scarred. I'll endure it. But please, I sincerely hope that no harm comes to the people in my life I love and treasure, including my family and fans who root for me."

"Everyone, and many reporters, I deeply regret that I didn't fix the wrong and the foolish things I said and did. I'll reflect on my behavior every day to become a more mature individual.", he concluded.
In 2019, a group of K-pop stars were accused of filming sexual videos without consent and sharing them in their group chat; the key members of the group chat were singer Jung Joon Young and K-pop boy band FTISLAND's former member Choi Jong-hoon.

Yong Jun-hyung was accused of being in the group chat; he claimed he was not part of it but admitted watching illicit videos shared by Jung Joon Young on their one-on-one chat and making inappropriate comments about the footage.

Yong Jun-hyung left Highlight in March 2019 and took a temporary hiatus.

In 2022, he returned to the entertainment industry with BLACK MADE, his independent label.
(Credit= 'bigbadboii' Instagram, BLACK MADE, SBS Entertainment News/Baik Seung-chul)

(SBS Star)