The company described it as a “serious invasion of his privacy.”
In a statement issued on Tuesday, November 3, Korean music management company BELIFT LAB confirmed reports the Jay, a member of the K-pop boy band ENHYPEN, became a victim of stalking.
It detailed that the certain individual, whom it did not name, has repeatedly attempted to contact Jay on his personal phone number since June.
“During the initial call, the individual falsely claimed to be an employee of an internet and television installation service center, mentioned the artist’s family, and approached the artist under the pretense of providing information about their services,” the company’s disclosure read, as translated by entertainment website Soompi.
However, when Jay directly checked with his family, it was confirmed that the individual’s claims were false.
“Despite the artist’s lack of response, the individual continued to harass the artist through persistent, repeated contact,” BELIFT further shared, noting that the individual also secretly recorded their phone conversations and distributed the recordings across multiple platforms.
The company also said that after the individual’s actions became publicly known, they repeatedly made excuses and claimed that the calls were “work-related” or that they had been “hacked.”
“We take this incident extremely seriously, as it constitutes not only an invasion of the artist’s privacy but also raises concerns about further harm resulting from the disclosure of personal information,” BELIFT LAB said.
Thus, they have filed a criminal complaint against the individual with Korean authorities. In addition, BELIFT also sent official requests to the country’s three major telecommunications providers in order to identify the said individual.
They also thanked fans who have reported the incident and said that they will “not extend any leniency or enter into settlements with those responsible,” in line with their zero-tolerance policy against stalkers and those who violate artists’ privacy.
ENHYPEN was formed through the survival reality show I-Land and made their official debut in November 2020.
Since then, they have released multiple successful extended plays and albums, which featured songs like Given-Taken, Tamed-Dashed, Polaroid Love, Bite Me, XO (Only If You Say Yes), and No Doubt
They also released The Sin: Bliss in late August, which featured the lead single Bloody Paradise, as well as the songs Two Fools, Stuck, Bad For You, Checkmate, and Highlight.
