Thankfully, there wasn't too much noise about this news. Of course, that may have been because he announced it himself.
Then, in February of last year, all hell broke loose. An interview was held and released in Thailand. The problem wasn't the interview itself. Rather, the boys playful attitude was misrepresented in the article that was released, which caused them to look insensitive and immature. This interview was held right after the flood in Thailand and the boys were hosting a charity event for the Thai. However, the person who wrote the article didn't write the entire response to a question, and instead of the boys' sincerity showing through, it appeared as though they were making fun and teasing the people of Thailand. To make things worse, 2PM member, Nichkhun, who just happens to be Thai, blasted the group on Twitter, which caused a lot of people who didn't know about the interview to find out. Because of Nichkhun's reaction, many BBC's, and Koreans in general, showed their disappointment. Broadcast stations had no choice but to limit their appearances. After what seemed like an infinite amount of apologies from both Block B and their agency, Zico, in a last attempt to make things right, shaved his head and the boys went into an early hiatus to reflect on their actions.
It was then announced that Zico and ex-T-Ara member, Hwayoung, were dating. However, this information was never confirmed by the company or Zico or Hwayoung, so I'm not quite sure whether or not to believe it. According to allkpop, "an employee who wishes to remain anonymous" confirmed it.
The boys made their comeback in late 2012, with Nillili Mambo, which was actually quite successful. However, the scandal continued when they decided, earlier this year, to sue their company. Apparently, the members hadn't been paid since March 2012. On top of that, CEO Lee had solicited the boys parents for money and then disappeared with it. What the Block B members were appealing for was the lost money, the unpaid wages and the nullification of their exclusive contract with Stardom Entertainment. During the trial, it was discovered that the former CEO had committed suicide. Another devastating blow was dealt to the boys when, in June, the courts ruled in favor of the company.
The members were unwilling to accept that verdict and together decided that they could not, and would not, promote under their agency anymore. Instead, they would promote independently, without any ties to any company, a feat that was perfectly possible because Zico was their producer anyway. P.O released a mixtape and the other members have either been extremely quiet, or have been featured artists in other artists music.
Finally, there is good news for Block B! Stardom Entertainment transferred their contracts to a different agency and the boys are gearing up for a comeback.
Now for the part where I give my opinions.
1. U-Kwon's dating scandal is a non-issue for me. I think he's handsome as bricks and extremely talented but once again, it's not really my business to get upset and cry.
2. The Thai interview scandal was one that caused me a LOT of anger and pain. As you've probably come to realize, I hate to see people wronged. And while the boys are known to be immature, I think misrepresenting their words and actions was a horrible thing to do. I honestly hope the person who did it has thought seriously about the damage they have caused and won't do it to any other artists. (I will admit though, for the longest period of time, I wanted nothing but for that journalist to be fired.)
3. Zico and Hwayoung dating: Normally, I don't care too much for dating rumors...unless it's with two artists, or actors, that I really like. But this one kind of threw me for a loop. It was never officially confirmed by the people who need to confirm it, so I'm not quite sure if I should be throwing out congratulations and all of that nice stuff. Quite frankly, I think AKP has officially lost credibility with dating rumors. Let's be real, anyone can see interactions and misunderstand it. I've been accused of flirting with people I don't find attractive in any way, and this was by a person that I was fairly close to. Saying that an employee confirmed it, but the company denies the rumors and neither Zico nor Hwayoung have confirmed it makes no sense to me. It's still a rumor and not official until someone official states that its true.
4. The Lawsuit: I can honestly see where the courts are coming from. They can only judge based on what they know and in their opinion, based on the information they were given, the company wasn't intentionally withholding money from the group. However, I was in full support of the members when they decided not to do any group promotions under their company. They were not being disrespectful and they were playing by the rules of the law. They would promote independently, not with another company. Therefore, they were not breaking their exclusive contract. Of course, I longed for a comeback, and the uncertainty of when that would come was eating me alive.
5. New Agency: I'm extremely happy at the way this has been handled so far. I guess Stardom has learned something from the SM vs JYJ case and has decided to let the boys go free. I'm genuinely happy on all levels.
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