K-pop star Hyunjin suspended by management over school bullying accusations

"Hyunjin will take the time to self-reflect after halting all of his activities as a celebrity"

Hyunjin of K-pop band Stray Kids has been suspended by his management, following accusations that he bullied other pupils during his time at school.

The rapper, now 20, was alleged by an anonymous forum poster on February 22 to have bullied them during their time at middle school in their early teens.

Following those accusations, Hyunjin’s management JYP Entertainment launched an investigation into the matter, speaking to the forum poster, former teachers and others who were students at the time.

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Today, they said in a statement quoted by The Strait Times: “Hyunjin will take the time to self-reflect after halting all of his activities as a celebrity. He sincerely regrets and is self-reflecting on the fact that he hurt various people in middle school with his rough and unsuitable words,” the statement read.

“He has sincerely apologised to those who were hurt and is doing his best so that those people can heal from those wounds.”

Hyunjin has reportedly apologised in person to the accuser, and also posted a lengthy apology on Instagram.

“First of all, I sincerely apologise to those who were hurt by my improper actions during my school years. Looking back on times when I was more lacking, I am embarrassed and have no excuse,” Hyunjin said.

“Whether it was intended or not, I don’t think I can be forgiven at all for giving unforgettable pain to someone.”

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The singer’s suspension comes amid a wider discourse about bullying in South Korea, which has seen a number of celebrities and K-pop stars face accusations.

The likes of girl group (G)I_DLE’s Soojin, Monsta X’s Kihyun and actors such as Jo Byung-gyu and Kim Dong-hee have all denied allegations of bullying.

Last month, meanwhile, Stray Kids member Han publicly apologised for lyrics in a song he released prior to his time with the boyband.

The musician was accused of using racial slurs and ableist terms in the rap, which he originally uploaded on his personal YouTube channel in 2013 when he was 13-years-old.

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