OMEGA X’s Future Activities Suspended For Now Amid Abuse By Spire Entertainment CEO
Content Warning
OMEGA X‘s future activities have been suspended for the time being.
For the past couple of months, FOR X (OMEGA X’s fandom) have become increasingly concerned for the members. In August, OMEGA X were seemingly banned from using their social media. After that, the group carried out their tour of North America, 2022 OMEGA X WORLD TOUR [CONNECT: Don’t give up], which was also fraught with issues.
After the tour wrapped with OMEGA X’s final show in Los Angeles, FOR X reported witnessing the members being verbally and physically abused by Spire Entertainment‘s CEO, Kang Seong Hee.
Guys, I was waiting outside for the Uber Eats that I ordered and I saw the company CEO hitting the members. I really didn’t know what to do since my hands were shaking so much. They were being hit right in front of me but I couldn’t do anything.
— @hwi_418
얘들아 우리 밖에서 음식 시킨 거 우버 기다리고 있는데
애들 회사 대표님이 애들 때리는 거 봤어
진짜로 손이 너무 떨려서 어떻게 해야 될지 모르겠어 애들이 눈앞에서 맞고 있는데 아무것도 못해 pic.twitter.com/vJEqNPzx5n— 유채 (@hwi_418) October 23, 2022
CEO Kang Seong Hee: What have you guys done for me? Did you take care of me when I was having a hard time?
CEO Kang Seong Hee: Stop?
Member: [inaudible]… it was right…
CEO Kang Seong Hee: Who do you think you are? Who do you think you are?
Member: [A member] is going to faint.
CEO Kang Seong Hee: I’ve already fainted before!
*sound of someone falling down*
Member: Oh!
CEO Kang Seong Hee: Get up! Now!
Member: What are you doing?!
*sound of a thud*
*sound of someone crying*
Spire Entertainment addressed the issue in a statement, claiming that “voices were raised” during a tour discussion between the management and the members.
Following the month-long tour, which began in Guadalajara, Mexico, on September 16 and ended in LA, USA, on October 22, we had a celebratory team-wide dinner. The conversation, which has circulated online via social media, was recorded at that dinner.
At the time, having completed all legs of the tour, the OMEGA X members and Spire Entertainment team were discussing the hard work that went into the concerts, as well as the future that is to come. During this discussion, we also talked about certain moments that caused disappointments in one another. And in doing so, the conversation got heated, and voices were raised.
— Spire Entertainment
Additionally, SBS News reported an exclusive statement from CEO Kang Seong Hee herself in which she addressed the abuse but defended her actions.
It’s a one-sided allegation started by an anti-fan who is hostile toward the management.
I was exhausted because I’ve been up for several nights in a row. I even had a bloody nose because I was so tired. But the members didn’t think to make me feel better. They didn’t care about me. So I felt upset and acted out of disappointment.
Usually, I’m extremely polite toward the members. I even use honorifics when I talk to them.
— Spire Entertainment CEO Kang Seong Hee
Since then, Spire Entertainment warranted more backlash after a video was released by SBS that showed Kang Seong Hee verbally abusing and then physically assaulting leader Jaehan, who appeared to be having a panic attack. The attacks toward the members continued even at their hotel, and additional witnesses reported more instances of mistreatment. It was even reported the members even had to pay their way home to Korea from L.A. after their company canceled their plane tickets.
SBS News shared a clip of OMEGA X's Jaehan who was seen having a panic attack and the CEO yelled at him: “Stand up. Stop being a K-pop idol if you're always sick like this.”
DANG! These boys deserve better protection from this kind of CEO!pic.twitter.com/qkrYpzp6z0
— BL Update (@BLUPDATE2022) October 24, 2022
For the past couple of weeks, FOR X have been waiting for further updates regarding the situation.
There’s still no updates about OMEGA X after arriving in KR yesterday. They just announced the cancellation of their segment in Naver vibe & will continue next week. They also deleted their first statement regarding OX situation. #StandWithOmegaX #오메가엑스_옆에_있을게
— 제현 (@j6hyun) October 26, 2022
They expressed concern about when OMEGA X would return for their previously canceled NAVER VIBE segment.
1 WEEK???? That’s all u are giving them? OF COURSE.. we want them back too.. BUT THEIR HEALTH AND WELL-BEING is more important! AND so is what happened to them.. @SPIRE_ENT YOU ARE NOT SWEEPING THIS UNDER A RUG! WE KNOW NOW.. SO own UP to your actions!!!
— jhae (@imjhae) October 26, 2022
Now, it has been announced via JTBC News report that OMEGA X’s future activities will be suspended for the time being. So, the group’s NAVER VIBE segment has been suspended yet again despite the previous announcements. It was canceled two weeks in a row due to the overlap of Spire Entertainment’s abuse controversy and the Itaewon tragedy.
JTBC News also reported on CEO Kang’s questionable social media activity that netizens had exposed.
A recent social media post uploaded by the label’s CEO was criticized. The CEO wrote, ‘You have lies but I have the truth’ and uploaded a conversation with staff members. The conversation, which sounded as if the CEO was patronizing the staff member, was criticized. Not long after realizing this, the CEO quickly deleted the posts.
The label’s CEO then wrote on Twitter, ‘My goal is for Omega-X to become good adults. Whenever people around me ask why the members don’t take pictures (with the label’s staff) I also tell myself, ‘There will eventually come an end, and I don’t want to leave anything to remind me of them, due to the pain.’ However, this emotional front was not enough to change fans’ outrage toward her.
— JTBC News
Additionally, the production company behind the upcoming BL (Boy Love) webdrama A Shoulder to Cry On, starring OMEGA X’s Jaehan and Yechan, released a statement. Read more below.
