Jannabi Issues Apology Amid School Violence Controversy Involving Former Member

The band Jannabi (잔나비) has issued an apology to fans after it was revealed that they had been collaborating with former member Yoo Young-hyun (유영현), who left the group due to allegations of school violence. Formed by friends from school, Jannabi quickly rose to fame, consistently ranking high on music charts and gaining popularity through appearances by lead vocalist Choi Jeong-hoon (최정훈) on variety shows.

However, the group faced a significant crisis in 2019 when allegations of school violence against Yoo Young-hyun surfaced, leading to his decision to leave the band. At that time, their agency, Peponi Music (페포니 뮤직), stated that Yoo had taken responsibility for his past actions and had reached out to the victim's family to express his sincere apologies. They also mentioned that he would continue to support the healing process for the affected individual.

Following Yoo's departure, member Yoon Gyeol (윤결) also left the group due to allegations of violence against women, and Jang Kyung-jun (장경준) stepped back from activities after getting married, leaving Choi Jeong-hoon and Kim Do-hyung (김도형) to continue as a duo.

Recently, it came to light that Yoo Young-hyun had been working as a sound engineer at Jannabi's concerts and rehearsals, prompting some fans to raise concerns. In response, the agency faced backlash for removing protesting fans from their fan cafe, which further fueled the controversy.

As the situation escalated, Choi Jeong-hoon, the CEO of Peponi Music, announced through the official fan cafe that they would no longer engage Yoo Young-hyun as a sound assistant. He acknowledged that the communication regarding this matter had been inadequate and expressed regret for disappointing fans due to poor judgment and handling of the situation.

Choi emphasized that there was never an intention to hide or cover up the situation, explaining that they had planned to address it in detail after resolving ongoing issues related to Yoo's past allegations. However, he denied claims that Yoo was involved in Jannabi's music production, stating that they would take legal action against any unfounded rumors.

Choi Jeong-hoon also expressed his regret, stating that if they had been more transparent from the beginning, the current discord could have been avoided. He apologized for attempting to include Yoo in the staff under inappropriate circumstances.

Meanwhile, Jannabi held a solo concert titled 'Fantastic Old Fashioned 2024: Movie Star Rising (무비 스타 라이징)' in September.