FNC Entertainment has warned commenters that it will sue them if CNBLUE's main vocalist Yonghwa continues to receive hate comments online.
Yonghwa has abruptly decided to enlist in the Korean military following the accusation that he got special treatment from Kyung Hee University that allowed him to enrol in a postgraduate course without the required interview at the school.
It was previously announced that Yonghwa will start his military service on March 5 after he got embroiled in the big controversy that police investigated him for any wrongdoing.
Yonghwa and FNC issued apologies but denied that the singer got preferential treatment when he was interviewed privately by a professor-in-charge of the graduate school program.
FNC Entertainment, CNBLUE's agency, has issued a statement about the scandal, saying, "We thank the fans who have always loved and supported our artists. We want to sincerely apologize to all the fans who have been hurt because of the various negative things around Yonghwa recently."
It added that "no matter the reason, we feel a heavy responsibility about not being able to systematically support and protect our artist. We are also looking in detail over your complaints, corrections, and demands."
The agency announced that "we are currently looking over a strict response to all the continuous reports we are getting about false reports as well as hate comments on Yonghwa. Currently, there are no results, so we ask for your understanding on our not being able to tell you all the details."
"There will be a chance in the future to relay the progression. We have also changed the people responsible for our company's call center and the related complaints."
FNC said it is "sad about the fact that Yonghwa had to enlist before various international schedules, as well as not being able to talk to or greet domestic and international fans. However, even though it was for a short time, it was a decision that both the label and the artist came to after considering various situations, and we believe a time will come where we can talk about everything. We will soon tell you a way that he will greet domestic and international fans who were thrown into chaos due to this decision."
It warned that "the label will strictly follow rules and communicate more openly with fans so the artist can show their full potential and so we can give back the fans' trust and love. We will strengthen the system to protect and support our artist, and strictly manage our internal staff."
"We will take stronger, stricter, and more active legal action against those leaving hate comments to our label's artists, as well as those spreading false information," it added.
It ended by saying, "Lastly, there is something we wish to say. Our label employees respect the talent that Yonghwa has as an artist, as well as the sweat he's spilled and his sincerity, and we will continue to believe in him. We will lean on one another as the staff that works with him, and as the coworker and fan who has watched over him, and win over this difficulty. We apologize once again for disappointing and hurting fans."
