Tempest's Hwarang suspended from band after club visit sparks controversy

Tempest's Hwarang will halt activities after his visit to a club was revealed. The remaining band members will continue as a group of six.

Tempest’s Hwarang will halt activities after admitting to visiting a club, the boy band’s agency. [YUE HUA ENTERTAINMENT]

Tempest’s Hwarang will halt activities after admitting to visiting a club, the boy band’s agency, Yue Hua Entertainment, said Wednesday. Tempest will continue its activities as a group of six.

“Member Hwarang was not able to recover trust, and the agency decided that it would be difficult to continue the band's activities [as a group of seven],” Yue Hua Entertainment said in a statement uploaded to the band’s official fan cafe on Wednesday.

Hwarang came under fire last month when a clip claiming to be a recording of the singer's video call with a fan went viral. The fan claimed to have asked Hwarang whether they'd seen him in a club, and singer, in the clip, appeared to have admitted it, saying that he'd enjoyed the club's music.

Though Hwarang is of legal age and did not sincerely confirm that he'd visited a club, some online users found the response inappropriate.

Yue Hua Entertainment released an apology on Feb. 20.

“Hwarang is deeply regretting visiting [a club] and has reaffirmed that he will not repeat such actions,” the statement reads.

The agency added, however, that the online accusations against Hwarang were "different from the truth."

Tempest, excluding Hwarang, will return with its fifth EP, “Tempest Voage,” on March 11. The agency added that Hwarang might still be seen in the band's upcoming album, since some recordings have already taken place, and asked for understanding.

Hwarang will also step down as a co-presenter for cable network MBC M's weekly music program “Show! Champion” (2012 –), a position he took up last month.

To find out more about TEMPEST, visit Celeb Confirmed

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