Kyoungyoon from DKZ says he didn't know about parents' alleged ties to cult

Kyoungyoon from the boy band DKZ, who has been under fire over his parents' alleged ties with the controversial JMS cult that has gained widespread recognition in the recent Netflix documentary "In the Name of God: A Holy Betrayal," said ...

Poster for Netflix's documentary series ″In the Name of God: A Holy Betrayal″ [NETFLIX]

Kyoungyoon from the boy band DKZ, who has been under fire over his parents' alleged ties with the controversial JMS cult that has gained widespread recognition in the recent Netflix documentary "In the Name of God: A Holy Betrayal," said through his label on Tuesday that he didn't know anything.

Kyoungyoon's label Dongyo Entertainment posted a statement on DKZ's online fan site on Tuesday, which read, "Kyoungyoon thought his parents were attending a normal church. He was shocked after realizing the truth and watching the series [about JMS]."

The new docuseries that exposes cult leaders' horrifying practices included JMS, also known as the Christian Gospel Mission, which was founded by the now-convicted rapist Jung Myung-seok who allured people into the cult by calling himself a messiah, all the while grooming and sexually exploiting young female followers across the world. The series created a stir, and a long list of the names and addresses of businesses allegedly run by JMS followers began to circulate online. The list allegedly included a cafe run by Kyoungyoon's parents in Yeongdeok County, North Gyeongsang.

“The cafe run by his parents has immediately suspended its business and, at the same time, the parents have cut off all their ties with [JMS], assuring that there will no longer be any kind of ties with the group in the future," the agency's statement read.

The label apologized on behalf of Kyoungyoon for creating such a stir and clarified that they don't have the "slightest intention to defend a crime or to benefit a specific group."

“While ignorance is not an excuse, we ask you to refrain from any further speculations or commentaries," the label added.

Netflix will hold a press conference on Friday with the main producer of the series in attendance to discuss the show.

BY CHO YONG-JUN [cho.yongjun1@joongang.co.kr]