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South Korean prosecutors have indicted a reporter for allegedly spreading false prostitution claims about K-pop idol THE BOYZ's Ju Haknyeon.
As per the official reports, Reporter Choi has been indicted without detention on May 12 on charges of defamation under the Information and Communication Network Act.
Choi's article caused intense frenzy in the K-pop community last year, which claimed in June 2025 that THE BOYZ member "met with former Japanese adult film actress Kirara Asuka at a bar in Tokyo in May of last year and solicited prostitution".
Following the publication of the article, Ju's agency, One Hundred Label, announced his departure on the same day, causing backlash and confusion.
Haknyeon filed a complaint last June, and police launched an investigation and referred the case to the prosecution this March.
The reporter claimed that they did not know the accusations were false. Under South Korean Supreme Court precedent, a media report may not be considered unlawful if the reporter had reasonable grounds to believe the information was true at the time of publication and acted in the public interest.
However, based on statements from the reporter and THE BOYZ former label and transcripts of conversation between Ju and the agency, the charge of defamation was warranted.
In the article, Choi stated that "Ju Haknyeon admitted to the prostitution after the company provided concrete evidence"; however, the reporter failed to provide any objective evidence during the investigation.
Previously, Haknyeon claimed that the company has been trying to remove him from the group and teamed up with the journalist to make the false report.
While police initially investigated Cha Ga Won, chairwoman of One Hundred Label, they found no evidence of conspiracy and dropped that line of inquiry, a decision later upheld by prosecutors.
Moreover, Ju Haknyeon attended the final concert of The BOYZ in April, sparking hope for a reunion.
