Geon-il, who has departed from the band Xdinary Heroes. [Herald Muse]
Geon-il, who has departed from the band Xdinary Heroes. [Herald Muse]

The legal representative of Geon-il, who has left the band Xdinary Heroes, said the artist never agreed to the termination of his exclusive contract.

Attorney Seong Jae-hwan of law firm Juwon posted a statement on Instagram on Thursday, saying, "The artist did not voluntarily leave the group, nor did he consent to the termination of his exclusive contract."

Seong added that "given the circumstances and nature of this matter, it is difficult to see grounds for terminating the exclusive contract." However, he said Geon-il "does not wish to cause further strain for fans and hopes to continue an amicable dialogue with the agency."

Earlier, JYP Entertainment issued an official statement on Aug. 13, saying it had decided to terminate the exclusive contract "by mutual agreement, having determined that continuing team activities together is no longer feasible."

Seong acknowledged that "the artist's use of inappropriate language in a private setting is a lapse that cannot be justified under any circumstances," but maintained that "it is not true that the artist habitually and repeatedly directed profanity or criticism at Xdinary Heroes fans."

The controversy erupted after a person identified only as A, who claimed to be Geon-il's former girlfriend, posted messenger chat logs and recorded phone call transcripts on social media. The recordings allegedly captured Geon-il expressing grievances about fellow members and directing profanity at some fans.

In a post on a fan communication platform on Aug. 13, Geon-il acknowledged that "the person who made inappropriate remarks toward fans in the phone recording disclosed to Villainz is me."

A graduate of Berklee College of Music in the United States, Geon-il had served as the group's leader and drummer.


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