29 October,2026 08:06 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Ju Haknyeon. Pic via Instagram
Former THE BOYZ member Ju Haknyeon has won a defamation case against an entertainment reporter who linked him to allegations of prostitution. The Seoul Central District Court has ordered the journalist to pay 200 million won (approximately USD 140,000) in damages, ruling that the claims were published without sufficient evidence to support them.
The verdict was delivered by the court's Civil Division 25 on October 23, more than a year after the allegations triggered a controversy that cost Haknyeon his place in the K-pop group and led to the termination of his exclusive contract with agency One Hundred in June 2025.
According to legal sources cited by Yonhap News, Judge Kwon Ki Man ruled that reporter Choi had defamed Haknyeon by claiming that the singer had paid for a sexual arrangement with Japanese former adult film actress Asuka Kirara and subsequently admitted to it.
The court found that the reporter had not adequately verified the allegations before publishing them. The judge questioned whether the information gathered during the reporting process was sufficient to establish that prostitution had taken place.
"It is difficult to conclude that Ju engaged in prostitution based solely on what Choi confirmed during the reporting process," the court said, highlighting the lack of evidence supporting the claim.
The judge noted that Choi had "merely presented the article draft and sought confirmation" without establishing whether concrete evidence of prostitution existed.
The court also considered accounts from people who attended the gathering, who said no money had been exchanged for sexual acts. Kirara, a businesswoman and influencer with more than 2.8 million followers, had also denied the allegations through her agency.
The controversy began in June 2025, when Japanese tabloid Shukan Bunshun published photographs of Haknyeon with Kirara at a bar in Tokyo. South Korean outlet TenAsia subsequently reported allegations of a paid sexual arrangement, citing industry sources. Haknyeon denied the claims.
Despite his denial, the controversy had immediate professional consequences. He was removed from THE BOYZ, and One Hundred terminated his exclusive contract on June 18, 2025, citing a contractual clause concerning conduct that could harm an artist's dignity.
Haknyeon later filed a 1-billion-won damages lawsuit against the reporter. On July 2, 2025, Seoul Gangnam Police Station cleared him of the prostitution allegations, citing insufficient evidence.
However, the defamation verdict does not bring an end to his wider legal dispute with his former agency. One Hundred has sought approximately 8 billion won in penalties and damages, while Haknyeon has accused the agency of pressuring him into signing a termination agreement and leaking information to the media.
In July 2026, a court dismissed the agency's damages claim, finding no valid grounds for terminating his contract. The latest ruling marks another significant legal development for the singer as he continues to challenge the consequences of the controversy.
