Daehyun’s Former Vocal Trainer Speaks Out in B.A.P’s Defense in Midst of Lawsuit Reports

Following the release of reports that all six members of B.A.P are filing a lawsuit against their agency, TS Entertainment, member Daehyun’s former vocal trainer has spoken out through his SNS to offer insight into the group’s current situation, in defense of the members.

On November 29, the vocal trainer, who goes by the name of HAK Ssem, posted a message on his personal Twitter account that reads, “All of this is information that I have definitely heard by keeping in touch with the members and their parents. I had to put up with it until now, but I am writing this because I can no longer just stand by and watch. To all of the fans who love B.A.P, please trust and support them with me until the end.”

He continued on with his message through a series of screen captures:

“First, Dispatch organized the most realistic report in comparison to others. I wasn’t able to say one word during their promotions because I didn’t want to cause harm to the group, but now, I have to speak up.

[B.A.P] didn’t even request the financial statement last year. They only asked to see the details of their balance accounts, but even then, it was not shown properly to them. [The company] only pushed out the total sum table calculated by them. Even that, they were told to just skim over it on the spot, so how could the parents be convinced after seeing that? When an account statement is presented as minus (negative) without a proper explanation, this is a situation that cannot be understood from the parents’ perspective.

At first, [the company] refused to meet with the parents. Later, when they met face to face with the CEO—I don’t know how a CEO can do this to the parents of his agency’s artists—he shouted things similar to swears. Of course, he said he was talking to himself, but if the CEO of the agency that the parents trust their children with acts like that, wouldn’t they be worried for the kids they don’t even get see often?

For three years, [the company] cut off [the members’] contact with the outside world and took their cellphones away. Even when they went to their hometowns for a fan signing, [the company] wouldn’t even let [the members] see their parents for more than 10 minutes. Not just that, even when the parents clearly know that they don’t have any schedules and come from far away [to see them], [the company] wouldn’t let them meet. Without one official break, [the members] lived under the control of their manager.

[B.A.P] received their very first official break this year. Before that, all they had was a one or two day break about two times after getting permission from the director or manager, without telling the company. What’s really shameful about that official break is that it happened after clashing with the parents this year, and [the members] were let out all at once. As if they were purposely telling them to cause an accident so [the company] would be at an advantage for the lawsuit. They stopped taking proper care of [the members], and almost as if they were waiting for the young kids to cause a mishap that violates their contract, [the company] would cancel their schedules and then suddenly schedule it again…It seems like the same people who used to keep watch over [the members] even when they just went to the convenience store in front of the company building have really gotten nicer (*sarcasm).

These kids had to memorize the phone numbers of their friends, teachers, and parents, and always erased their call history for fear of being caught contacting them through things like their iPad, Kakao Talk, or FaceTime because they are under surveillance.

To a kid who was receiving treatment at the hospital for not only physical but mental exhaustion, [the agency] pressured schedules on him. [Daehyun’s] parents directly told me that the manager coerced them, telling them that if he missed his schedule, they would file a suit for damages.

I read in an article that the parents were asked to support the hospital fees. They not only covered the hospital bill, but because [the members] don’t have any income, the parents had to cover all of the expenses for personal things since their trainee period until now by sending money or using their parents’ [credit] cards.

No matter how many times the parents asked [their kids] to let them talk to the agency, [the members] said, ‘Let’s trust [the agency]. We just need to work hard to make music.’ Even while getting IV drips, the members would stop their parents, not once complaining, and consistently carried out their activities.”

Following this series of posts, the vocal trainer wrote, “It doesn’t matter if you share what I have written to other places. I hope you spread this so a lot of people can know. I am prepared to fight for and with Daehyun.”

In response to a fan’s tweet, he also shared, “In the current situation, I am unable to contact the members, so I showed this to their parents first and posted it after receiving permission. Also, I did not post this message lightheartedly.”