Seoul police have imposed an exit ban on a Japanese K-pop trainee accused of fraud, following his alleged disappearance just months before his group’s scheduled debut.
According to local news reports on Sunday, the Seoul Yeongdeungpo Police Station is investigating the trainee, prompted by a formal complaint filed by his agency.
The K-pop trainee reportedly went missing in December, approximately two months before he was slated to debut as a member of a six-member boy group. He allegedly left a message stating, “Trust has been broken,” prior to cutting off all contact.
According to the agency, the boy group had already completed filming its music video and released its member profiles at the time of his disappearance. Consequently, the group ultimately debuted as a five-member act, proceeding without the missing trainee.
The agency has estimated its financial damages at 57.43 million won (approximately $39,000 USD). This extensive figure encompasses training expenses, song and choreography production, recording fees, music video production, and living costs such as meals and housing provided to the trainee.
Authorities currently believe the trainee remains within South Korea and are actively tracking his whereabouts.
The agency initially attempted to resolve the incident without legal recourse, but subsequently pursued legal action upon discovering the trainee had reportedly signed with another entertainment agency, according to various local reports.
K-pop industry insiders frequently observe that contract violations by foreign trainees are a recurring issue, particularly prevalent at smaller agencies. These agencies often elect to avoid protracted legal action due to significant time and cost constraints.
Indeed, foreign trainees are progressively becoming an increasingly vital and integral component of the global K-pop industry.
Statistical data from the Korea Creative Content Agency highlights this trend, revealing that as of the end of 2024, 42 of the 963 trainees officially signed with Korean entertainment agencies were foreign nationals.
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