K-pop star U-Know Yunho from TVXQ! ditched by sponsors after report police caught him at illegal escort bar
- The K-pop star was caught with female bar staff in a police raid, and tried to flee, a South Korean media report alleged
- Yunho’s label, SM Entertainment, says he only broke social distancing rules, but sponsors still rushed to drop him
By Park Ji-won
Sponsors are quickly distancing themselves from TVXQ!’s U-Know Yunho after reports said he was caught violating social distancing rules in an illegal escort bar.
Food-delivery app Yogiyo and food maker Ottogi had removed the K-pop idol from all advertisements as of Sunday, including YouTube videos and posters. When customers previously launched the food-delivery app, Yunho’s image would appear with the company logo.
Yunho had been promoting Yogiyo since November last year, appearing in various campaigns including TV commercials and promotional posters. He was also advertising Ottogi’s instant rice bowl or “Cup Bap”.
The move came after a South Korean media report on Friday that Yunho not only violated social-distancing requirements that have been in place since last month, but also spent time with female escorts at the illegal business.
The MBC television and radio network reported that the venue in Seoul’s Gangnam district where the K-pop star was caught violating social distancing rules was a members-only escort bar falsely registered as a restaurant. The report also claimed that he was in the company of female staff at the time and tried to flee when police raided the establishment.
Following the report, TVXQ!’s label, SM Entertainment, rejected the allegations and said the K-pop star did not do anything wrong apart from violate the social distancing regulations.
“U-know Yunho is at fault for violating social distancing rules. He is also reflecting on his actions. But he did not do anything wrong except for that,” SM Entertainment said in a statement on Friday. It added that the K-pop star went to the venue to talk to a friend who needed advice and there were no female staff there. SM Entertainment also stressed that he did not attempt to run away from police.
In recent months, a number of South Korean companies have severed ties with stars embroiled in controversies, including school bullying allegations, in order to manage potential risks in a market where customers are becoming increasingly vocal on issues of injustice.