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Additional Update on the Issue Regarding SEVENTEEN Member MINGYU
Hello.
This is PLEDIS Entertainment.
We would like to provide additional information on what we have been able to confirm regarding SEVENTEEN member MINGYU.
Representatives of our company were able to contact the individual who wrote the allegations that the artist stood by laughing while watching a middle school classmate being assaulted. While this individual wrote the posting claiming to be a witness in order to remain anonymous, the person had in fact been the student involved in this incident.
After hearing the original poster’s account of the events, our company worked to confirm the facts of the incident with testimony from the people mentioned as being involved as well as additional statements from other graduates of the school.
First, the artist clearly stated that he did not recall the incident that was mentioned by the original poster, and he did not encourage assault against another student nor stand by laughing and making derogatory remarks. The individual who posted the allegation named certain people as being the perpetrators, and our company verified the statements of those identified as the perpetrators as well as other graduates who are presumed to have been present at the incident. Not one of these individuals recalled the incident as happening as claimed by the original poster.
The original poster then contacted a friend remembered as being present at the scene when the incident occured, who, according to the poster, also did not recall the event. The poster then informed our company that since no one allegedly involved in the event did not have any memory of this event, the poster did not wish the discussion regarding the issue to continue.
We are deeply concerned that a claim was published online regarding an event solely based on the memory of a certain individual, and that it is being allowed to conclude when recollections of the event are shown to be uncertain. While it is fortunate that this and all other previous incidents have been confirmed to be unrelated to our artist, we are forced to contemplate how much suffering must be allowed to be inflicted on those involved in such an allegation, in addition to the time and effort required to dispel such claims. However, as we discussed this issue with the individual who posted the original allegations, we noted that this individual, while unrelated to the actions of our artist, did suffer from abusive interactions with classmates, and we have thus decided to refrain from taking additional steps and consider the issue to be resolved with the verification of the facts.
We have contacted and completed our discussions with everyone related to this issue who could be identified. We will provide an update if any additional information is made available.
Previous statements/updates regarding the issues:
TwitLonger — When you talk too much for Twitter
TwitLonger is the easy way to post more than 140 characters to Twitter
Hello.
This is PLEDIS Entertainment.
We would like to provide a statement regarding our company’s position on the claims posted online regarding SEVENTEEN member MINGYU’s behavior as a student.
First, please allow us to apologize for not issuing an immediate response.
After the claims were posted online, our company examined the information regarding the artist as well as the surrounding circumstances. During this process, we were able to verify that there were certain discrepancies between the information posted online and what we were able to verify from the artist.
With the continued surfacing of school violence-related issues across our society, our company determined that a clear verification of the facts must take priority, and we are carefully examining all the issues. We would like to apologize that this process has delayed our response.
As we have noted, our company has contacted the parties involved through a variety of methods to ascertain the facts of this issue. We are still in the process of reaching out, and we have spoken with numerous acquaintances of the artist including his classmates.
First, regarding what we have been able to verify to date, the claim that the artist abused a classmate with a disability is completely false.
The artist himself clearly remembered the person identified in the claim as the victim, and we were able to contact and discuss the issue with this person’s mother, who confirmed that the student was in fact on very good terms with the artist. She remembered the names of the students who did abuse the victim in school, and was able to verify this information for us immediately.
This person is currently leading an ordinary life as a private individual and feels uncomfortable that the past has been discussed publicly without consent. Despite this, the former classmate generously verified the facts for the sake of the artist.
Our company is carefully examining the other issues. However, as identifying the original posters of the allegations is difficult, and as some posters have expressed the desire not to be contacted, we are compelled to proceed with caution.
We respect the wishes of those who wish not to be contacted. If we are given the opportunity, we are always willing to meet anyone to examine the facts and carry out the necessary measures to address these issues.
We believe that the issue of school violence, a serious problem today, must be considered foremost from the victim’s point of view. However, in addition to the victim’s perspectives, we determined that measures must be carried out after the facts of the issues have been clearly verified.
As these problems occurred in the artist’s past when he was a student in elementary and middle school, we believe that it is necessary to carefully verify the facts and determine a course of action after examining these events as close to as they actually occurred as much as possible.
The artist himself has expressed his deep apology for the discomfort caused to all fans with the occurrence of this issue. He has temporarily suspended his activities, and has entrusted the company to carry out all necessary examinations of the facts.
Our company would also like to offer our sincere apology for the discomfort we have caused regarding our artist.
This statement is not an indication that we consider this issue to be resolved, and we will carry out the necessary measures as we verify the facts. However, we ask for your understanding as this is not a simple process and will take time.
Meeting those who have spoken out that they have been harmed, and verifying the facts and ensuring that they can be healed is the most important. In addition, please understand that we cannot consider any decision that may impact the entire life of the artist lightly and without verifying the facts. We promise that if any wrongdoing is found after this process, we will take clear and necessary measures.
Once again, please allow us to offer our apology in causing discomfort due to issues related to our artist.
This is PLEDIS Entertainment.
We would like to provide a statement regarding our company’s position on the claims posted online regarding SEVENTEEN member MINGYU’s behavior as a student.
First, please allow us to apologize for not issuing an immediate response.
After the claims were posted online, our company examined the information regarding the artist as well as the surrounding circumstances. During this process, we were able to verify that there were certain discrepancies between the information posted online and what we were able to verify from the artist.
With the continued surfacing of school violence-related issues across our society, our company determined that a clear verification of the facts must take priority, and we are carefully examining all the issues. We would like to apologize that this process has delayed our response.
As we have noted, our company has contacted the parties involved through a variety of methods to ascertain the facts of this issue. We are still in the process of reaching out, and we have spoken with numerous acquaintances of the artist including his classmates.
First, regarding what we have been able to verify to date, the claim that the artist abused a classmate with a disability is completely false.
The artist himself clearly remembered the person identified in the claim as the victim, and we were able to contact and discuss the issue with this person’s mother, who confirmed that the student was in fact on very good terms with the artist. She remembered the names of the students who did abuse the victim in school, and was able to verify this information for us immediately.
This person is currently leading an ordinary life as a private individual and feels uncomfortable that the past has been discussed publicly without consent. Despite this, the former classmate generously verified the facts for the sake of the artist.
Our company is carefully examining the other issues. However, as identifying the original posters of the allegations is difficult, and as some posters have expressed the desire not to be contacted, we are compelled to proceed with caution.
We respect the wishes of those who wish not to be contacted. If we are given the opportunity, we are always willing to meet anyone to examine the facts and carry out the necessary measures to address these issues.
We believe that the issue of school violence, a serious problem today, must be considered foremost from the victim’s point of view. However, in addition to the victim’s perspectives, we determined that measures must be carried out after the facts of the issues have been clearly verified.
As these problems occurred in the artist’s past when he was a student in elementary and middle school, we believe that it is necessary to carefully verify the facts and determine a course of action after examining these events as close to as they actually occurred as much as possible.
The artist himself has expressed his deep apology for the discomfort caused to all fans with the occurrence of this issue. He has temporarily suspended his activities, and has entrusted the company to carry out all necessary examinations of the facts.
Our company would also like to offer our sincere apology for the discomfort we have caused regarding our artist.
This statement is not an indication that we consider this issue to be resolved, and we will carry out the necessary measures as we verify the facts. However, we ask for your understanding as this is not a simple process and will take time.
Meeting those who have spoken out that they have been harmed, and verifying the facts and ensuring that they can be healed is the most important. In addition, please understand that we cannot consider any decision that may impact the entire life of the artist lightly and without verifying the facts. We promise that if any wrongdoing is found after this process, we will take clear and necessary measures.
Once again, please allow us to offer our apology in causing discomfort due to issues related to our artist.
TwitLonger — When you talk too much for Twitter
TwitLonger is the easy way to post more than 140 characters to Twitter
Hello.
This is PLEDIS Entertainment.
We would like to provide some additional information regarding an online post pertaining to when Mingyu, a member of SEVENTEEN was a student.
PLEDIS Entertainment had many conversations with the writer of the online post, which contained experiences at the after school class that the poster attended with the artist and ascertained additional facts of the issue. After going through this process, the artist and the poster agreed to resolve the misunderstandings and put the issue to rest.
The writer of the online post experienced a series of personal events unrelated to the artist while attending middle school and uploaded the post to make them known to the public. The post also included what happened during the after school classes at the time.
The artist said he did joke around with his male classmates at the after school class, but never bullied nor tried to embarrass any specific student. He did however, offer his sincere apologies if the poster, in any way, felt uncomfortable or suffered due to his actions.
The poster accepted the artist’s apology and insisted that the poster did not want the issue to lead to the suspension of the artist’s activity or the artist leaving the group from the very first conversation held with PLEDIS Entertainment.
We have shared this statement with the poster in advance and the poster confirmed and agreed to the release of the statement. We sincerely hope that the writer of the post does not experience further harm due to any disputes--big or small--over the issue.
We have contacted everyone involved in the post who could be identified and brought the conversation to a close. We are also currently looking into other matters which involve parties that are difficult to identify. We will provide an update with a separate notice on this issue at a later date.
This is PLEDIS Entertainment.
We would like to provide some additional information regarding an online post pertaining to when Mingyu, a member of SEVENTEEN was a student.
PLEDIS Entertainment had many conversations with the writer of the online post, which contained experiences at the after school class that the poster attended with the artist and ascertained additional facts of the issue. After going through this process, the artist and the poster agreed to resolve the misunderstandings and put the issue to rest.
The writer of the online post experienced a series of personal events unrelated to the artist while attending middle school and uploaded the post to make them known to the public. The post also included what happened during the after school classes at the time.
The artist said he did joke around with his male classmates at the after school class, but never bullied nor tried to embarrass any specific student. He did however, offer his sincere apologies if the poster, in any way, felt uncomfortable or suffered due to his actions.
The poster accepted the artist’s apology and insisted that the poster did not want the issue to lead to the suspension of the artist’s activity or the artist leaving the group from the very first conversation held with PLEDIS Entertainment.
We have shared this statement with the poster in advance and the poster confirmed and agreed to the release of the statement. We sincerely hope that the writer of the post does not experience further harm due to any disputes--big or small--over the issue.
We have contacted everyone involved in the post who could be identified and brought the conversation to a close. We are also currently looking into other matters which involve parties that are difficult to identify. We will provide an update with a separate notice on this issue at a later date.
