I-Land and BLANK2Y’s Youngbin departs from the group after dating violence controversy; Keystone Ent. confirms

I-Land member and BLANK2Y’s Youngbin has left the group after being embroiled in the violence controversy.

Anoushka Mathew
Written by Anoushka Mathew , Writer (K-pop, K-drama)
Updated on Feb 25, 2023 | 04:25 PM IST | 2.2M
Youngbin Concept Photo; Picture Courtesy: Keystone Entertainment
Youngbin Concept Photo; Picture Courtesy: Keystone Entertainment

Warning: The following article mentions physical violence and assault. 

Youngbin of the group BLANK2Y ended up leaving the team after being embroiled in a dating violence controversy.

Youngbin:

On February 25th, Keystone Entertainment, BLANK2Y's agency, said, "As a result of checking the facts about the matter raised through a community today, it was confirmed that the person involved in the matter was Youngbin. "We have decided to leave Youngbin from the team, BLANK2Y will be active from today's scheduled performance KROSS Vol.2, excluding Youngbin."

The controversy:

Youngbin of I-Land fame has recently been embroiled in a controversy due to dating violence. This is because netizen A, who is said to be an acquaintance of Youngbin's ex-girlfriend, started to expose Youngbin through an online community bulletin board.

Youngbin Concept Photo; Picture Courtesy: Keystone Entertainment

The incident:

Person A, who said that 'her friend was assaulted on a date by her idol boyfriend', said the friend wrote a statement on February 19th and is scheduled to undergo a victim investigation on the 26th. The friend and the idol dated for about 3 months, and when her friend wanted to break up, he assaulted her. The person claimed that Youngbin grabbed her friend by the collar, dragged her into an alleyway, grabbed her cell phone and tried to throw it, and strangled her till she passed out. Although person A did not reveal Youngbin's real name, when the mosaic-processed picture was released, some netizens pointed to Youngbin as the perpetrator.

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Here’s the official statement: 

“Hello, this is Keystone Entertainment.

First and foremost, we sincerely apologize for causing concern and discomfort to both fans and the public. Earlier on this day, the agency moved to confirm all related facts following the recent accusations raised on an online community, and it was found that the individual facing the accusations was in fact Youngbin. As a result, we would like to notify you of Youngbin and BLANK2Y's status moving forward.

The agency has decided that Youngbin will leave the group as of this date, and beginning with the scheduled performance 'KROSS Vol.2' later today, BLANK2Y will continue their promotions without Youngbin.  Once again, we apologize for bringing fans and many others concern with matters related to Youngbin. The agency will continue its best efforts so that BLANK2Y can show you their growth.

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Thank you."

Disclaimer: If you know someone who has suffered from violence or assault, reach out to the nearest authorities, mental health expert, or an NGO for immediate help.

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About The Author
Anoushka Mathew
Anoushka Mathew
Writer (K-pop, K-drama)

A BMM graduate, Anoushka has been writing professionally for over 2 years. K-Pop and K-Dramas consume her day and she

...

Credits: Keystone Entertainment
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