SM Entertainment has taken a firm stance against what it calls "groundless rumors" and allegations of bullying surrounding its newly debuted girl group, Hearts2Hearts.
Hearts2Hearts, an eight-member girl group consisting of Jiwoo, Carmen, Yuha, Stella, Juun, A-na, Ian, and Ye-on, made their highly anticipated debut on Feb. 24 with their first single album, The Chase. However, the excitement surrounding their launch was quickly dampened by serious accusations against one of the members, Ian.
Anonymous online posts claimed that Ian had a history of school violence and inappropriate behavior during her middle school years. The allegations included incidents of physical altercations, such as throwing a rock at a fellow student and breaking a fish tank. Additionally, Ian and her friends were accused of engaging in sexual harassment towards teachers.
These accusations gained traction when individuals claiming to be Ian's former classmates came forward to support the allegations, providing pre-debut photos as evidence.
Additionally, netizens also blasted Ian for a pre-debut social media post where she used ableist language. The post showed Ian posing with a friend, accompanied by a caption that read "two disabled people" in Korean.
It is important to note that in Korea, "jangae-in" is used to refer to disabled people. Many students use it as a joke, but it still does have ableist connotations. However, some netizens later claimed it was her friend who wrote the caption and not Ian, though that is also unconfirmed.
In response to the growing controversies, SM Entertainment issued a statement declaring that they have "confirmed that posts containing false information, malicious slander, and defamation of character are being posted and distributed" about Hearts2Hearts. The company emphasized that it has initiated legal proceedings to address these issues.
The entertainment giant made it clear that it would not tolerate the spread of unverified information and would take legal action "without leniency or settlement." SM Entertainment also noted that it will continue to do its best to "protect our artists."
