SOURCE: "대표와 사귀면 센터?"…'K팝 슈가대디' 폭로 파장→"전 소속사 아니다" 선 긋기
Hyogyeong, formerly of the girl group ARIAZ, personally clarified that her recent comments regarding the existence of so-called 'sugar daddies' in the K-pop industry are unrelated to her past activities or her former agency.
Recently, Hyogyeong uploaded a video on her Youtube channel 'HYOKEY,' discussing the dark side of the K-pop industry. In the video, she claimed that some individuals in the entertainment industry engage in private relationships in exchange for financial support. She also claimed to have witnessed inappropriate situations during her time as an idol.
She specifically shared that she had heard of a girl group member from a small-to-mid sized agency who dated her CEO and was given the center position and major parts regardless of her skill and popularity. However, she drew a line by stating that this was unrelated to major agencies and that she did not name any specific individuals or companies. She also added that such cases occur not only among idols, but also among trainees and rookie actors.
After the video was posted, online speculation began linking Hyogyeon's past career to specific agencies, and the controversy quickly spread. In response, Hyogyeong posted an additional video on the 1st, emphasizing, "The story I mentioned in my video about Sugar Daddy and one short part dating a company CEO is not about my former agency at all."
She added, "All my videos are in English, so I think when they get translated into Korean and turned into articles, some problems are coming out," and urged people to refrain from groundless speculation. She further revealed that she had spoken directly with her former agency's CEO to clear up misunderstandings and offered an apology while explaining the situation.
Hyogyeong repeatedly denied, "The 'sugar daddy' story I mentioned is only a small part of the video," and added, "My former CEO would never do something like that to us."
Meanwhile, Hyogyeong first gained recognition after ranking 8th in on 'Mix Nine' in 2017. She later debuted in 2019 with the girl group ARIAZ, but the group ended activities in 2022. She is currently pursuing individual activities, mainly through her Youtube channel.
