Jannabi's Collaboration with Yu Young-hyun Sparks Controversy Amid Apology and Legal Threats

The band Jannabi has come under scrutiny after it was revealed that they collaborated with Yu Young-hyun, who had previously left the group due to allegations of school violence. In response to the backlash, Jannabi issued a belated apology, but public sentiment remains largely negative.

On November 13, Choi Jeong-jun, the CEO of Jannabi's agency, Peponi Music, announced on the official fan cafe that they would no longer be working with Yu Young-hyun in a sound support capacity. He stated, "The process of communicating this matter to our fans was not handled appropriately. We regret that our poor judgment and inadequate response have disappointed many fans. We never intended to hide this issue or to retire without addressing it. However, we wanted to provide a detailed explanation after resolving the ongoing matters related to Yu Young-hyun's past issues (school violence)."

Choi Jeong-hoon also expressed, "If I could have shared the true circumstances with you from the beginning, perhaps we wouldn't be facing this situation now. I want to apologize for trying to include him in our team through improper means."

Jannabi was formed in 2011 by Choi Jeong-hoon, Kim Do-hyung, and Yu Young-hyun, later expanding to a five-member group with the addition of Jang Kyung-jun and Yoon Gyeol. However, Yu Young-hyun departed in May 2019 after being identified as a perpetrator of school violence.

The agency stated, "We sincerely apologize for the distress caused by the controversy surrounding Yu Young-hyun's school violence allegations. We have confirmed the facts directly with him, and he has acknowledged his mistakes. Yu Young-hyun is currently deeply remorseful and has decided to take full responsibility for his past actions, including ceasing all future activities. He will voluntarily leave Jannabi to take time for self-reflection."

Despite this, Yu Young-hyun continued to work alongside the band as a sound engineer during performances and rehearsals. When this information surfaced, some fans raised concerns, leading the agency to forcibly remove protesting fans from the fan cafe.

In response to the growing discontent, fans began to express their disappointment by voluntarily leaving the fan cafe, signaling a boycott. However, the agency announced plans to take legal action against what they termed "unfounded falsehoods" regarding Yu Young-hyun's involvement in Jannabi's music projects.

Meanwhile, Jannabi has been operating as a duo with Choi Jeong-hoon and Kim Do-hyung following the departure of Yoon Gyeol, who faced charges related to domestic violence, and Jang Kyung-jun, who paused his activities due to marriage.