Ryu Seung-eun (류승은), wife of Kim Jun-won (김준원), a member of the South Korean band Glen Check, recently went public with allegations of sexual harassment against an executive at their agency. She claims the executive made sexually harassing remarks on two occasions. After she requested an apology from the company, she was allegedly excluded from work. Furthermore, she alleges that screenshots of her bikini photos, selfies, and sexually suggestive comments from unknown online users were included in related company documents, causing her immense distress and impacting her mental and physical well-being.
On November 3, Ryu posted a lengthy message on social media, publicly detailing her experiences for the first time. She stated that this incident is one of many reasons Glen Check has been unable to perform normally for over a year, hoping that by revealing the events, the public will understand the underlying issues behind the group's prolonged inactivity.
Ryu revealed that over the past year, she and Kim have continuously raised various issues with the company, including the sexual harassment incident. She specified that a department head at EMA Entertainment made sexually harassing remarks twice, prompting them to demand an apology from the company. At the time, some current and former employees were aware of the situation, and the company had promised to address it and ensure an apology from the individual involved, leading them to trust the company.
However, the issue remained unresolved, eventually forcing them to send a formal certified letter demanding an apology from the company. Ryu also emphasized that for over three years, she had voluntarily assisted with Glen Check's work, including visual planning, design, slogans, and merchandise production. During this period, she had also directly collaborated with company employees, making the subsequent events even harder to accept.
To her shock, the company's subsequent handling of the situation was appalling. Ryu stated that not only was she excluded from work, but her bikini photos, selfies, and even explicit sexually suggestive comments from unknown accounts appeared in documents related to the sexual harassment dispute. She believes this approach was meant to imply that because she sometimes wears revealing clothing, she should tolerate such inappropriate remarks.
This experience deeply affected Ryu. She confessed that the impact was profound, leading her to seek psychiatric treatment. Even after some time has passed, she still struggles to overcome the trauma and relies on medication daily, with her mental and physical health still suffering.
Finally, Ryu stressed that she is not revealing these events to bring anyone down or intentionally harm anyone. Instead, she hopes that those responsible for the wrongdoing will acknowledge their actions and sincerely apologize where an apology is due. She also hopes that by speaking out, these long-unresolved issues will finally receive the attention they deserve.
Glen Check, a band that debuted in 2011, gained recognition and popularity for its unique musical style, blending electronic music with rock elements. However, since 2016, the group's activities have noticeably decreased, leaving fans curious about their current status.
In response, Glen Check's agency, EMA Entertainment, told South Korean media outlet OSEN via phone, "Internal discussions are currently underway, and we do not have any further details to disclose to the public at this time."
