K-pop boy group BTS poses for photos during the 64th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on April 3, 2022. Image: Big Hit Music via The Korea Herald
BTS’ music label, Big Hit Music, addressed rumors of the band’s supposed involvement in drug-related cases and stressed that these allegations are “not true in the slightest.”
Rumors linking BTS as well as other K-pop stars to drug-related investigations apparently circulated on social media after reports of Big Bang’s G-Dragon being booked on charges of drug use.
“BTS is completely unconnected to the relevant rumor, and [the rumor] is not true in the slightest,” Big Hit Music said in a statement obtained by Korean media outlet Soompi on Thursday, Oct. 26. “We will take strong action against the indiscriminate circulation of rumors.”
Aside from the septet, Le Sserafim’s Kim Chaewon and (G)I-DLE’s Jeon Soyeon were also among the artists being linked to drug controversies but their agencies—Source Music and Cube Entertainment, respectively—denied these.
“The rumors about Kim Chaewon are not true at all. Kim Chaewon is recovering from the aftereffects of the flu and is scheduled to resume her activities on Nov. 1,” Source Music’s statement read.
For its part, Cube Entertainment said, “The drug rumors are groundless. We will take strong action against the spread of false rumors.”
The police also regarded the hearsay about the female artists as “misinformation,” per Soompi.
G-Dragon, whose real name is Kwon Ji-yong, was earlier booked by Incheon Metropolitan Police without detention on drug abuse charges. The police reportedly identified G-Dragon through a compulsory inquiry as a result of the drug investigation involving “Parasite” star Lee Sun-kyun.
While the police did not give further details on the matter, they clarified that the two cases are not connected to each other.