Whereabouts Of People Involved In Jung Joon-young’s Group Chat: Choi Jong-hoon Returns, Yong Jun-hyung’s Romance

nganha275January 20, 2024Last Updated: January 20, 2024

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On January 18th, rumors of a romantic relationship between Hyuna and Yong Jun-hyung surfaced on SNS. The two posted the same picture showing them holding hands like lovers and Hyuna even left a comment asking, “Please look at us warmly”. Aside from congratulations from fans, netizens also poured criticism. It is because Yong Jun-hyung was related to the so-called “Jung Joon-young’s Group Chat” scandal.

In 2019, Yong Jun-hyung withdrew from HIGHLIGHT four days after apologizing for seeing illegally filmed videos shared by Jung Joon-young. After a long hiatus due to the incident, he set up the independent label BLACKMADE in 2022 and made a comeback as a solo artist. Upon carrying out comeback activities, Yong Jun-hyung once again explained that he did not participate in the controversial group chat by Jung Joon-young. However, negative reactions continue and many people question why Hyuna is openly dating such a problematic guy.

Coincidentally, other people who were caught up in Jung Joon-young’s Group Chat are also updating their recent status. Three days before Yong Jun-hyung’s dating news broke out, Choi Jong-hoon, who was a member of the controversial group chat, resumed activities and made a comeback.

Due to his involvement in Jung Joon-young’s Group Chat and Burning Sun Scandal, Choi Jong-hoon was arrested in May 2018 on charges of sexual assault and illegally filming a drunk woman with Jung Joon-young. After serving his imprisonment sentence, Choi Jong-hoon was released in November 2021 and announced his withdrawal from F.T. Island and the entertainment industry.

However, he recently opened a new channel on Japan’s fan community platform Fanicon, and is preparing to resume activities after 5 years. Choi Jong-hoon posted a notice on SNS, asking fans to look forward to his future moves.

Former BIGBANG member Seungri, who was also a member of Jung Joon-young’s Group Chat and the key figure in the Burning Sun Scandal in 2019, was also sentenced to prison on a total of nine charges, including habitual gambling, prostitution and embezzlement. He was released from Yeoju Prison in February 2023.

A month after his release from prison, it was revealed that Seungri called celebrities and acquaintances to enjoy clubbing and met with Kai Ko, who was restricted from activities due to drug charges. Recently, a post spread in online communities titled, “Seungrri is still clubbing”, drawing keen attention.

Meanwhile, Jung Joon-young has been serving his five-year imprisonment sentence since September 2020. He is scheduled to be released from prison in October 2025.