Explaining his reason to come out with the allegations against the band's agency CEO and former producer, the leader of the Korean band says he understands why the other members remain silent.
- Oct 22, 2018
AceShowbiz - The East Light's Lee Seok Cheol and his attorney have shared evidence of the alleged abuse the band members suffered at the hands of former agency producer Yoon Young Il. The attorney released pictures of the injuries on Lee Seung Hyun's head, arms, calves and buttocks after allegedly being hit by the accused producer.
The attorney also revealed part of the recording of a phone call and several text messages between Lee Seok Cheol and Lee Seung Hyun's father and Moon Young Il. The attorney said that he's going to submit the entire recording when he files criminal charges.
While Lee Seok Cheol has gone public with abuse allegations against former agency producer Yoon Young Il, none of the other members of the band has supported his claims. Speaking on "Kim Hyun Jung's News Show", the leader of the South Korean group shared his opinion on why his bandmates remain silent despite the violent treatment.
"I know all the members know what I talked about. This is my personal opinion, but I think they are just staying silent and unable to talk because of their dreams," Lee Seok Cheol said. Realizing that what he's done risks his career in the music industry, he added, "Even if I have to give up music and do something else, there will be others in K-Pop. I want to make sure something like what happened to us don't happen to them, so I'm trying to be brave and holding press conferences."
Lee Seok Cheol held a press conference on Friday, October 19 airing Media Line Entertainment's dirty laundry. He claimed that he "was habitually hit by Yoon Young Il PD with a baseball bat" from 2015 through 2017 and was choked with a guitar string when he made small mistakes like missing a note or failing to keep up.
His younger brother and fellow band member Lee Seung Hyun was allegedly beaten while locked up in a studio on the 5th floor. He "is currently receiving psychiatric treatment after developing trauma from these experiences," Lee Seok Cheol said. He additionally claimed that another member Lee Eun Sung "bled many times after being beaten with a bat."
Lee Seok Cheol said he was threatened if he dared to tell his parents about the alleged abuse. Meanwhile, the company's CEO Kim Chang Hwan did not take actions to stop the producer from abusing them, Lee Seok Cheol allehed. "The label's chief director Kim Chang Hwan did not prevent these actions, but only commented, 'Go easy.' Director Lee Jung Hyun made us go on broadcasts with our wounds untreated," he continued.
His brother Lee Seung Hyun has been dispelled from the band allegedly after complaining about the issue. The brothers plan to file criminal charges against the company's CEO and the former producer.
Lee Seok Cheol has also shared an audio recording of Kim Chang Hwan verbally threatening him. The CEO was heard saying, "Once you put things into my hands, you just have to leave it even if I beat you to death... Imagine making it to the news (with abuse) as a celebrity. You guys wouldn't have anywhere to stand. And who would want to take the kids with issues? You shouldn't blow things up. You shouldn't. Your mom and dad will be in more pain. It'll be 10 times more painful."
In a statement released after the press conference, Kim Chang Hwan denied any involvement in the alleged abuse. "I am strongly aware of my faults and apologize profusely for what has arisen because I was unable to properly manage the staff," he said. "As I watched Lee Seok Cheol's press conference, my heart ached as much as it did when I first found out a year and four months ago that the members had been victims of assault."
He added, "I've also never encouraged or provided orders to abuse anyone. This includes when it came to guiding the members of The East Light. I will accept the criticism for my behavior and wrongdoing. I will reflect and try to resolve the conflicts with a sincere mindset."
