Kim Jun-su denies relation to female streamer's criminal background

Singer Kim Jun-su put out an additional statement on Saturday regarding his recent lawsuit against a female streamer for allegedly extorting hundreds of millions of won from him.

Singer and musical performer Kim Jun-su [OD COMPANY]

Singer Kim Jun-su put out an additional statement on Saturday regarding his recent lawsuit against a female streamer for allegedly extorting hundreds of millions of won from him.

His agency, Palmtree Island, rebutted claims that Kim is related to the streamer’s previous drug conviction.

“The streamer’s criminal background was only revealed after Kim filed the police report against the streamer on violation of the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes,” the agency said. “Kim has nothing to do with any such criminal behavior.”

The agency denied that the recordings of the conversations between Kim and the streamer contained any “inappropriate or misleading matters” and that they were purely personal. It pointed out that the streamer recorded the private conversations for the “illegal purpose of blackmail.”

“We ask that you refrain from making any unfair assumptions and avoid secondary victimization toward Kim, who is an apparent victim in this incident,” the agency said, adding that it would be taking legal action against any parties who spread misinformation or post hate comments.

On Friday, media reports surfaced that the female streamer blackmailed him 101 times and extorted more than 800 million won ($573,000) from September 2020 to as recently as last month.

Kim first debuted as a member of boy band TVXQ under SM Entertainment in 2003. After leaving the group with members Park Yoo-chun and Kim Jae-joong in 2009, they formed the trio JYJ in 2010 and a duo JX without Park in September.

BY SHIN MIN-HEE [shin.minhee@joongang.co.kr]