The Courage of OMEGA X
Screenshot from 비하인드 BEHIND livestream
Hangyeom wanted to say something important the last night of OMEGA X’s tour.
“So I wanna tell you something,” he said in his closing speech. “If you get hurt in your life, you get cursed at by somebody, tell someone. Please tell somebody. If you handle it alone, it will eat you up.”
Two days later, a bombshell video would be published by SBS (Seoul Broadcasting Station) that included video of what appeared to be Spire Entertainment’s CEO allegedly verbally and physically abusing OMEGA X, specifically the group’s leader Kim JaeHan. The video was said to be filmed after the group’s concert and the repercussions would be devastating. SBS later reported that OMEGA X was forced to purchase their own flights home, and over the next two weeks, the group went silent. A week ago, though, they reappeared on Instagram. They were ready, they said, to share their story. “It will be hard,” they wrote in an Instagram story, “But we are ready to share our story with the world.”
On Wednesday, backed by legal representatives Noh Jong-eon and Seo Joo-yeon, OMEGA X hosted a press conference at the Seoul Bar Association in Seouch-gu, Seoul and announced the termination of their contracts with Spire. For thirty minutes, the eleven members - Jaehan, Hwichan, Sebin, Hangyeom, Taedong, Xen, Jehyun, Kevin, Jung-hoon, Hyuk and Yechan - detailed devastating claims of sexual harrassment and abuse by the label’s former CEO.
"The only reason why we had put up [with the alleged violence] is because of the fear that we would lose our last chance,” JaeHan said. “It was a second chance for all of us, and we didn't want to waste our time. We also believed we had to endure for our fans.”
“[The abuse] has come to a stage where we cannot tolerate it, and we're taking the courage for everyone who is also suffering from unfair treatment and for everyone who is striving for their dreams,” JaeHan stated.
Originally, Yechan remembered, the CEO was kind to the members. They were given, as JaeHan noted, a rare second chance to pursue their dreams of becoming K-Pop idols after their former groups disbanded. But then, he noted, the mood shifted in November of last year.
“It will be hard but we are going to share our story with the world!” Omega X wrote on their IG Stories.
"She not only forced us to drink after our practices, but she made sexually harassing comments and touched our thighs and faces, persistently abusing us sexually,” JaeHan said. “Even when such meetings were over, she would continuously call and text us and verbally assault us.”
Hangyeom described threats from the CEO that went as far as refusing to release their next album if they didn’t drink with her. “We had no choice but to stay with her and do as she wished,” Hangyeom said.
Noh, the group’s attorney representative, stated "It wasn't just harassment, but she would touch the thigh and stick her face so close to the member's that he could feel her breath. This is a case of abuse of power, and if the victims had been female, [the assaulter] would have been heavily punished.``
Spire issued an apology on November 7, claiming to take “full responsibility” for the actions of CEO Kang. The company claims that the CEO has resigned.
But OMEGA X refuted this, "We have not heard a single word of genuine apology since we flew back following the incident. Instead, she brought up the issue of mandatory military duties and reimbursements [of financial debt],” Junghoon said. “We felt we could not continue the conversation.”
According to Noh and Seo, the group now has been asked to pay 300 million won ($227,000) of debt per person to end their contract. This is being disputed. The group will press charges and will sue Spire. There is evidence, Noh said, of the abuse through pictures and videos.
Screenshot from 비하인드 BEHIND livestream
OMEGA X’s press conference is highly unusual in K-Pop, an industry that has been shrouded in mystery for decades. Rarely have groups spoken out against mistreatment – and when they do, it is often years past the alleged abuse occurred. But OMEGA X is fighting back publicly. They want their story to be heard. They want us to grapple with their pain. The members are asking us to imagine, for just a moment, how it must feel to be where they are now. As the members spoke, a few became choked up. Many openly wept or kept their heads bowed. But I have to admire that they did not turn away: OMEGA X wants us to hear their pain.
"I'm sure not all agencies are like this, but I believe that many hopeful K-pop trainees and even active K-pop singers are being mistreated and exploited,” Taedong said in his statement. His voice broke as he read his message and he began to cry. “I used to practice for 15 to 17 hours every day in my last agency without a day off. I was treated unfairly." He described a life of surveillance and no privacy. “I was living a hard life every day because there were frequent verbal and physical assaults.”
These kinds of stories are devastating to hear, and they point towards a fundamental change that needs to occur in the industry. I want a future where all K-Pop idols are protected. “We want to be respected as people, not products,” JaeHan said softly at the press conference. It is a simple plea, but a devastating one, too. It is easy for fans and the media to dehumanize K-Pop idols. Fans often complain when a comeback is cut short or a group does not promote for long enough, but we forget that these are humans who work long hours to give us content. Their job is to bring joy to fans, but how do we grapple with the knowledge that some of these idols are in an intense amount of pain?
I want all idols to know that they are artists who deserve respect. I want them to know that they have given so much of themselves to make fans happy: their youth, their bodies, their time, their health, all for a dream that is often not guaranteed. But most importantly, I want them to know that when this becomes too much for them, when the walls are closing in, they can press stop and pause. Their lives are more important than a group.
As a thank you for the overwhelming amount of support and the #protectomegax hashtag that was created by fans, Yechan and Hwi-chan read statements they had written for their supporters. FOR X, they said, gave them the strength to persevere. “We will continue if you will stay by our side,” Yechan said.
At the close of the conference, the group gathered in a line with JaeHan in the middle. He held the mic gingerly. "We have suffered until now to protect Omega X's dream, but we're taking the courage to now protect our fans, our families and us, the members," he paused as tears ran down his cheek. "We hope that everyone who is being mistreated somewhere in the world can pluck up the courage with our voice today. The 11 members of Omega X will not give up and continue to fight."
