Korean pop singer-songwriter HyunA has found herself at the center of a new scandal after the musician became associated with the Burning Sun controversy.
HyunA is a former girl group member in the K-pop world (having been a part of both Wonder Girls and 4Minute) and has largely been working as a solo artist since 2009.
The 32-year-old has been in the spotlight for nearly 20 years and has dealt with the ups and downs of being in the public eye for a long time.
HyunA Controversy Explained
Fans are worried for K-pop star HuynA after she was pulled into the eye of a storm of controversy.
The South Korean musician revealed her intention to marry singer Yong Jun-hyung this October, drawing the ire of many.
This was caused by Yong's involvement in the Burning Sun incident, a widespread controversy that went viral in 2019, as well as her past relationship with rapper Dawn.
The Burning Sun incident saw various South Korean celebrities exposed for allegations of rape and filming sex acts without consent.
At the time, leaks revealed that Yong was a part of one of the chat rooms on Korean app KakaoTalk, where he received a video of a sex act that was filmed consensually but shared without consent (per The Guardian).
In a message to his fans on the allegations, Yong posted on Instagram (in a now-deleted post), "All these behaviors were extremely unethical, and I was stupid."
He then announced he would leave his boy band Highlight and take some time away.
Highlight wrote in a statement that Yong was in "a deep state of reflection for his past inappropriate action" (via All K-Pop):
"We learned of the facts stated (above) through Yong Junhyung's witness questioning. After realizing the severity of this situation, Junhyung took part in his questioning diligently, and he is now in a deep state of reflection for his past inappropriate actions, as well as for the disappointment that he undoubtedly caused many due to his immorality."
Some have seen HyunA's association with Yong as immoral and reprehensible.
Yong only just returned from a lengthy musical hiatus following the Burning Sun scandal, releasing several projects as a solo artist since 2022.
HyunA was previously in a relationship with Korean rapper Dawn, who she was also engaged to; however, the pair called things off before their marriage, breaking up in 2022.
Fans have criticized the former girl group star for her potentially contradictory statements about marriage in her new engagement with Yong.
While dating Dawn, she previously noted, "I don’t want to get married," yet is ready to tie the knot two years later (via Koreaboo).
HyunA also recently canceled her upcoming North American tour, which was set to run through the end of August. Still, it is unclear if this cancelation has anything to do with her engagement to Yong or the controversy that has befallen her.
HyunA's music is streaming on music streaming platforms worldwide.
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