Japanese K-pop trainee referred to prosecutors after pre-debut disappearance
A trainee who disappeared before his scheduled debut was referred on fraud charges after his agency alleged he signed elsewhere and caused major losses.
The Seoul Yeongdeungpo Police precinct in western Seoul
SEOUL YEONGDEUNGPO POLICE STATION
A Japanese trainee in Korea who disappeared just two months before his scheduled debut in a K-pop idol group has been referred to prosecutors on fraud charges, the Seoul Yeongdeungpo Police precinct said Tuesday.
“Trust has broken down,” the suspect, aged 29, told the agency in December last year before going off the grid. He was set to debut as a member of a six-member boy group in two months.
By the time the suspect vanished, the K-pop group had already filmed its music video and released both its songs and member lineup. The agency eventually moved forward with the debut anyway as a five-member group.
The agency later discovered that the suspect had secretly signed with another entertainment agency despite being under an exclusive contract with the company. It took legal action in March.
"After looking into the matter, we found that the suspect had also suddenly cut off contact and disappeared from another company he had signed with before joining us," the agency said at the time. "He repeatedly signed with Korean entertainment agencies, received substantial investment for his training and debut, and then fled to Japan.”
The agency estimated its losses from the suspect's disappearance at 57.43 million won ($40,090). The estimate includes training expenses, song and choreography production costs, recording fees, music video production costs, meals and housing costs incurred on the trainee's behalf.
After receiving the agency's criminal complaint, police placed the suspect under a departure ban and continued their investigation. The ban, which applies to foreign nationals, remains in effect, and the suspect is currently in Korea.
BY KIM JI-HYE [[email protected]]
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
