WM Entertainment Releases New Statement About Producer TANK’s Threats Toward OH MY GIRL’s Seunghee
Content Warning
Earlier in March, WM Entertainment issued a statement after singer-producer TANK released a diss track about OH MY GIRL‘s Seunghee. WM Entertainment had stated that TANK had been obsessed with Seunghee and harassed her ever since she helped him through a mental health crisis.
Today, WM Entertainment issued a second statement that reinforced their intention to take legal action against TANK after he threatened her yet again.
The full statement is as follows:
This is our final statement regarding TANK, who continues to spread false and malicious information.
1. As we revealed in our first statement, Seunghee and TANK were junior and senior classmates at Korea Art School and colleagues in the same industry. Seunghee helped him after he contacted her about taking his own life, but he took advantage of her kindness and appealed to his mental illness to attempt to pursue a romantic relationship with her. He even threatened her by saying that he may take his own life again. The agency’s firm statement that Seunghee is a victim of harassment remains unchanged.
Even though Seunghee took the time out of her busy schedule to help a senior who was suffering and kept in touch with him because she was worried, he started spreading false information about her and exaggerated the truth on his social media and YouTube channel as soon as she cut off contact with him. The damage caused to our artists has been getting more severe after he also revealed the members’ personal information.
2. The agency collected all the evidence and documents related to this case and sent it to our legal representative. On March 12, we filed both civil and criminal complaints against TANK for spreading false rumors, insults, and threats.
On March 9, as part of preparation for our lawsuit, the agency went to TANK’s house to confirm if that was where he lived because the address he had shared on social media was not the address that we had been given. We rang the bell in order to deliver the certification of contents notice and to confirm that it was him and his address, but due to TANK’s own refusal, we were unable to meet face-to-face and simply delivered the certification of contents.
3. Unlike what TANK claimed, the agency clearly states that we have never made him any offers or attempts at appeasement. Our position on taking strong legal action against all of these incidents remains firm. It is deeply uncomfortable for us and our artists to be involved in his absurd, one-sided claims. If he is truly the victim of an injustice, then this is a case that can be solved by going to the police, but instead he defames our artists by spreading false rumors about them on social media and YouTube. The damage and shock caused to our artists and the agency is severe.
4. Messages that TANK sent Seunghee in the past included phrases such as, ‘When I die, reveal the KakaoTalk messages I sent you to defend yourself. The world’s judgment will be divided into those who criticize me as someone who ended his own life pitifully after loving one woman,” and “The media will remember forever that if I die, it’s because you killed me.” As these messages implied he was thinking of suicide, we approached the situation with as much caution as possible.
However, TANK has caused shock and violence to many people by releasing extreme videos that put his life on the line. Since this has caused violence and discomfort to more people than just our artists, we have decided that we could no longer stay silent or remain idle about this behavior.
5. We will absolutely not engage in direct communication with a person who continues to spread false information and distort the truth to benefit himself alone. Instead, he will be held responsible by the law. In order to protect our artists against further damage, if an individual attacks our artists with one-sided, fictional claims, then we will take strong legal action without appeasement until the end. In a situation in which our artists and the agency continue to be damaged through the spread of false information (i.e. if the original content continues to spread, if the individual spreads further lies, continues to engage in exhausting behavior, and expands and reproduces their lies further), we will take further legal action as that requires.
6. Even in this situation, Seunghee is fulfilling her work responsibilities to the best of her abilities to comfort the fans who are worried about her. WM Entertainment is also focusing on preparations for a new album.
We would like to apologize to the concerned fans who are worried about our artists. Since this issue concerned someone’s precious life, we decided to be cautious in our response, so we ask for your understanding regarding the lateness of this statement. Thank you.
—WM Entertainment