UAA, the agency of artist Yoo Ah In, clarifies previous reports and threatens legal action against fake news.
On April 12th, Yoo Ah In’s agency UAA released an official statement, revealing their stance of taking legal actions against hearsays reports and fake news.
Below is the full statement from UAA:
“First of all, we apologize for causing concern regarding the unpleasant matter involving actor Yoo Ah In.
So far, Yoo Ah In and his agency have refrained from making any statements regarding the ongoing police investigation. As Yoo Ah In has stated in his previous statement, he will cooperate fully with the investigation and is prepared to accept any punishment. His position has not changed.
However, we would like to clarify the facts, as details from the unfinished investigation, which should have remained confidential, have been leaked to the media. In addition, news articles containing unverified information continue to be circulated.
On April 11th, there were two exclusive reports related to Yoo Ah In, including:
- Kookmin Ilbo’s exclusive report of Yoo Ah In using drugs with models and broadcaster at Itaewon club every week
- Yonhap News TV’s exclusive report of Yoo Ah In’s excessive use of Zolpidem
We would like to address the Kookmin Ilbo’s exclusive article first.
The article was written solely based on the testimony of informant A. It was reported without any fact-checking or verification, only based on speculation. The report has already spread through other media outlets with sensational headlines, making it seem as if he had used drugs at the club every week.
Kookmin Ilbo relied on informant A’s claims, such as ‘many people thought it was strange that he got extremely drunk without ordering much alcohol’ and ‘he smoked in the corner, but the smell was different from regular cigarettes’, as unverified grounds for suspicion.
We would like to ask how Kookmin Ilbo verified A’s claims. The lounge clubs we checked did not allow smoking indoors, and there were separate, open smoking areas. We express our deep regret at the fact that a major media outlet like Kookmin Ilbo published an unverified report based on someone’s speculation.
In response to Kookmin Ilbo’s report, we plan to take legal action.
Next, we would like to address Yonhap News TV’s report on ‘Zolpidem’.
It is true that Yoo Ah In has been taking sleeping pills for a long time due to a chronic sleep disorder. In the past, he had taken sleeping pills containing the ingredient in question. However, for the past six months, he has switched to sleeping pills with different ingredients, and he has never used them for any other purpose. The truth will be revealed through the police investigation.
Despite this, confidential investigation details continue to be leaked to the media. We are seriously concerned about the spread of unverified allegations as if they were established facts.
There are more aspects to the other allegations against Yoo Ah In that need to be clarified, but we believe it would be inappropriate to do so during an ongoing police investigation.
However, we will actively respond to fake news and indiscriminate ‘hearsay’ reports that are not related to the police investigation, including taking legal action.
Thank you for your understanding.”
Source: wikitree
