2017 has been the year of exposé of sexual misconduct allegations in the entertainment industry.
There has been a growing boycott of the accused musician and anything endorsed by him.
K-pop seemed to have been experiencing its own case of Harvey Weinstein when Onew, a member of the renowned boy band SHINee, went under investigation back in August for a sexual harassment case. After four months of prolonged silence, the 27-year-old singer finally addressed the controversy of his own making in the form of a handwritten apology.
On December 4, Onew posted an apology on the band's official website, which read as follows: "These last four months I've been thinking about my misconduct and how I've deeply disappointed my fans who have supported me all these years. I feel incredibly remorseful about myself. [...] I have nothing else to say than that I'm sorry. I should have been more cautious about the consequences of my actions. For all the love [the fans] have given me, I'm sorry that I've disappointed [them]. I'm also sorry to [the other members of SHINee] who have worked hard over nine years by my side. I'd also like to apologize to my parents and everyone at [SM Entertainment] whom I must have shocked."
"I thought about how I would apologize, about which words would best express my regret. I felt so bad about myself that I didn't know how to begin. I'm sorry it's taken me so long," he explained the reason for the belated apology.
He also promised to change, "to reflect on [his] actions and strive to be a better person," and added that he "would try [his] best to live up to the expectations of being a SHINee member both in professional and personal life," seemingly aware of the jeopardy he had placed on his own career.
In August, Onew was indicted on charges of sexually harassing a woman at a club in Gangnam, Seoul. His label SM Entertainment issued an official statement defending the artist, stating that it was "a case of misunderstanding that stemmed from unintended physical contact, whereby [the accuser] realized her misconstruction of the situation and withdrew the accusation of her own accord."
While the singer has kept a low profile for four months without any statement regarding the matter, his appearance in the music label's season's greetings clip on November 26 caused a ruckus of public criticism, followed by the growing movement for boycott of the accused musician and any product endorsed by him.
By Goldbin and Arin Kim voomvoomk@gmail.com
