Former member Seong-hoon of the group Browneyed Soul has claimed forced withdrawal, while Browneyed Soul's side has countered that "it is not true."
Browneyed Soul's agency, Longplay Music, stated on their official SNS on the 7th, "We heard that Seong-hoon has been experiencing psychological difficulties and instability due to a prolonged hiatus during the COVID period and health issues of the members, and has been undergoing professional counseling and treatment. During this process, he has continuously engaged in inappropriate behavior, including sending personal attack messages to other members and their families."
They continued, "Nevertheless, the company respected Seong-hoon's desire for music activities and actively supported his personal activities, such as producing a solo album and filming YouTube content, in an effort to help him recover. However, after a year had passed without any change in the situation, we determined that it was no longer sustainable and made the final decision to terminate the exclusive contract and part ways with Seong-hoon after discussions."
Longplay Music added, "As false information is spreading and unnecessary misunderstandings are growing, we have no choice but to clarify our official position. We sincerely wish for Seong-hoon's stability as a long-time colleague, but if false information continues to damage the reputation of the company and the artists, we will take strong measures, including legal action."
Earlier that day, Seong-hoon revealed that while waiting for member Na-ul's vocal condition to recover before the recording of Browneyed Soul's new album in 2022, he learned about Na-ul's solo project through the internet and said, "The frustration and anger I had endured for 20 years exploded."
Seong-hoon later claimed that the agency restricted his personal YouTube channel activities and presented him with a withdrawal contract, leading him to assert that he would ultimately leave the team. He appealed, "Leaving was not my choice. I hope you understand that I wanted to protect the team until the end."
Meanwhile, Seong-hoon left Browneyed Soul in March 2023. After his departure, Browneyed Soul, now a trio (Na-ul, Young-jun, Jung-yeop), released their 5th regular album 'Soul Tricycle' on the 23rd of last month.
[Lee Da-kyum, Star Today Reporter]
