South Korean singer HyunA and former BEAST/Highlight member Yong Jun-hyung announced their relationship on January 18, 2024, with a “lovestagram” post on their personal social media accounts. The photo they have both posted shows the two of them holding hands while walking along the beach.
View this post on Instagram
View this post on Instagram
HyunA later commented on her post saying, “Please look kindly on us,” and also liked a fan’s comment telling the couple to “love prettily.”
On the next day, January 19, 2024, both HyunA and Yong Jun-hyung’s agencies responded to the news—AT AREA (HyunA’s agency) said that they are not at all involved with their artist’s personal life, while BLACK MADE (Yong Junhyung’s) commented that the matter is difficult to confirm.
Following the announcement, HyunA’s fans showed their anger, disappointment, and displeasure towards the female artist on social media. The announcement has also led to the “closure” of some of HyunA’s big fan accounts on X (formerly Twitter).
Yong Jun-hyung had risen to prominence in the South Korean entertainment industry as a member of BEAST, later rebranding as Highlight. He had withdrawn from the group in 2019 after admitting that he had watched an illegal video sent by Jung Joon-young, one of the idols at the center of the Burning Sun Scandal.
The Burning Sun Scandal in 2019 was an entertainment and sex scandal in South Korea that shook the country at the time, due to the number of renowned celebrities (K-Pop idols) and authorities involved.
Yong Jun-hyung’s name had come up during the March 11, 2019 epsiode of SBS’ “8 O’Clock News,” where initial investigations of the scandal stated that he was part of the KakaoTalk chatrooms where illegal molka footage was being shared. His former label AROUND US initially announced that the reports of his participation were false.
Later, the agency clarified that while he was not a part of the chatrooms, Yong had a one-on-one chat with Jung Joon-young in 2016.
However, Yong Jun-hyung later on announced his departure from Highlight 3 days later on March 14, 2019, and explained the situation surrounding him and his one-on-one chat with Jung Joon-young in 2015. (This post on Instagram has since been deleted or archived).
In his letter, Yong stated that he had admitted to having received an illegally filmed video from Jung Joon-young and had participated in inappropriate conversations. “All of these actions were very immoral, and I was foolish. I treated it as not a big deal without thinking that it is a crime and illegal act, and it is also my fault for not firmly restraining [Jung Joon-young],” said Yong Jun-hyung.
He later added, “…although I knew of what was happening dring that time, I thought of it as not a big deal and acted at ease. I was a silent bystander about this severe issue where more victims may have arisen due to my actions.”
At the time, the police had only considered Yong Jun-hyung as a witness in the Burning Sun Scandal.
HyunA’s fans, other K-Pop fans, and some of the public expressed their dissatisfaction over HyunA and Yong Jun-hyung’s relationship announcement. The reaction was overwhelmingly negative, to the point that HyunA’s long-time big fanbases on social media had announced their “closure,” owing to the fact that they could not support her for her relationship with someone who was involved in the Burning Sun Scandal.
kpop stans really putting difference aside to drag that hyuna lady for dating that burning sun dude 😭 pic.twitter.com/F4nCrynebW
— 𝒗 ── ★ (@juniish) January 18, 2024
just glad the big accs are using their platform to spread info on his involvement in the scandal and aren’t blindly defending her. no one should forget the things he admitted to nor support her links to him in any way.
— n (@seoho90s) January 18, 2024
THIS is who Hyuna's new boyfriend is associated with. Jung Joon Young sent Yong Junhyung his secretly filmed videos of him having sex with his victims to which Junhyung admitted to having seen and made fun of them. pic.twitter.com/MO19TICk4l
— chanyeolie-o's (@songmingies) January 18, 2024
all the major hyuna fan accounts closing down… she rly destroyed her image that she's been building for more than a decade with one single photo. AND OVER WHAT? a piece of shit man?!?!
i think i've never felt more disappointed in an artist i liked and respected a lot.
— ฅ/ᐠ. ̫.ᐟฅ (@ok__matt) January 18, 2024
If you date a man who admitted in COURT that he watched women being r@ped and s*xually assaulted you’re also a bad fucking person
This is fucking insane https://t.co/Z23u2dAufg— ㅋᩚ (@sdlchaewon) January 18, 2024
dating or not, associating with a man who admitted to watching videos of un consensual sex and did not report or help those women because he “didn’t know it was wrong” is awful.
i worry for hyuna’s safety, i don’t understand how you can befriend or date someone like that
— aviva – hiatus (@softfordawnie) January 18, 2024
sorry but that man ADMITTED in COURT that he watched hidden cam videos of women from jjy i am not above trying to look past that and i may have to stop supporting hyuna now too because of this shit
— 🦖 (@cheekyhyo) January 18, 2024
MASSIVE TW// SA
There’s no excuse for hyuna at all and if I see anyone defending her I’m blocking you immediately. How could she willingly and knowingly date someone who was involved in burning sun. A man who gladly watched videos of women and minors be SAed https://t.co/gAe7GVP5u2
— Lauv✌︎ (@LauvxHoney) January 18, 2024
https://twitter.com/ahquablue/status/1748012677526437995?s=20
No but hyuna is so slimy bc how do you go from being an inspiration for women in your country to date a man who caused so much damage to those same women? pic.twitter.com/dKu4wB4RlB
— alex• (◜◡◝) (@synkvelvets) January 18, 2024
I am disgusted. he is directly involved in the burning sun scandal, watched videos and talked about them. this man condones r*pe and s*xual assualt. do not support hyuna or this disgusting man. pic.twitter.com/E4isfnDGsD
— ✿ (@lvelysource) January 18, 2024
https://twitter.com/chrryhnji/status/1748096129512951949?s=20
hyuna and junhyung dating is something people would've wanted in like. 2009. seeing this shit in 2024 after everything that's happened is insane to me
— ۟ (@pearlyprizes) January 18, 2024
ppl who r first time hearing the burning sun scandal bc of hyuna junhyung makes me feel so old bc I WAS THERE WHEN IT STARTED ALL WENT DOWN READING THE NEWS THE LIVE UPDATES THE ARTICLES AND EVERYTHING 😭 pic.twitter.com/WCoJQJ8rsH
— ꪆ𝜚 (@gyucart) January 19, 2024
Netizens find out that Hyuna and Yong Junhyung were seen together since last yearhttps://t.co/nE37ps38zw pic.twitter.com/X6x2PePp32
— pannchoa (@pannchoa) January 19, 2024
knetz and international fans agreeing that this whole hyuna junhyung thing is weird 😟🤝😟 pic.twitter.com/W83Cf1LxW7
— LOML JOHNNY DAY !! (@JAEHDOYO) January 18, 2024
hyuna could get on here and claim that she had no romantic entanglement with that man and that still wouldn't justify her holding hands with him and posting about it pic.twitter.com/93h8Bx0e7x
— ً 💍 (@clubfaist) January 18, 2024
HyunA's big fanbases have started closing their accounts and called her out due to her controversy dating a man involved in Burning Sun incident. pic.twitter.com/kVQFKRNE2x
— CHUNGHA Charts (@chun9hachart) January 19, 2024
hyuna is involved with man who was affiliated with burning sun case, there is a HUGE difference. i need you to be so serious. https://t.co/DvoNZlk0Sk pic.twitter.com/ZS0CNapIfn
— adri ✩ (@shozees_) January 18, 2024
https://twitter.com/hyunathinker/status/1748130029295317428?s=20
https://twitter.com/hyunathinker/status/1748146171913130023?s=20
hyuna was out here talking abt how she hopes nwjns r secure and safe only to turn around and date the literal reason women arent secure and safe pic.twitter.com/qLImIQz8fm
— tesco clubcard (@hypkyotize) January 18, 2024
hyuna dating someone that was apart of the burning sun scandal pic.twitter.com/x77mw0y0n5
— ☠︎︎ (@suhohrs) January 18, 2024
xhttps://twitter.com/jhadderstweets/status/1748180720751894636?s=20
what support? her entire fanbase is leaving https://t.co/o9yJKTZz8A
— zuko ☆ wants a refund (@penghuiing) January 19, 2024
Others have also pointed out how one of her close friends, the late Goo Hara, had reached out to reporter Kang Kyung-yoon to help in the investigation of Jung Joon-young’s chatroom case. Goo Hara was also a victim of molka, after her ex-boyfriend Choi Jung-bum had filmed her without her consent.
girl im gooped. i didnt know Hara used to date junhyung back in the day and that Hara personally reached out to the reporter of that sexroom scandal to help it out.. as if hyuna wasn't rotten enough😭 pic.twitter.com/TulPq17hQF
— katyamari damousey 🐭 (@gooddaymp3) January 18, 2024
It is extremely disappointing in the eyes of fans to see someone they’ve idolized for the longest time being a role model for women out there…just for them to turn out to be the exact opposite of it.
For many fans, HyunA was one of the very few female idols to publicly send a message of women empowerment, which led to her huge fanbase. Now that she had revealed her relationship with a man complicit in the crimes of men involved in one of the biggest scandals in South Korea, well, it just goes to show how we really do not know our idols behind the camera.
Shame that it had to come to this, HyunA. We were all rooting for you, honestly.
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