OMEGA X will terminate contract with SPIRE & press charges against CEO; group speaks on their abuse at press conference

Following disturbingly escalating stories of abuse under SPIRE Entertainment, OMEGA X held a press conference today to address the situation. Just recently, they announced that they will be terminating their contract with the agency, demand compensation, and will be pressing charges against their CEO.

"Something unimaginable in 2022 happened. We have told the agency that we will be terminating [the members'] exclusive contract, which will lose its legal effect starting today. We will press charges and demand compensation," said attorney No Jong-eon from LawFirm S.#OMEGA_X— Celeb (@CelebConfirmed) November 16, 2022

Attorney: Omega X will be pressing charges against the former CEO for threatening, assaulting and exploiting members. The first thing that needs to take place is to nullify the exclusive contract. We have filed for a seizure of contract. We will demand compensation later.— Celeb (@CelebConfirmed) November 16, 2022

Furthermore, they basically talked about everything that’s been reported on their situation from their own mouths, though there were also some new details and an expansion of the topic of mistreatment and abuse to beyond them or this company.

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Members Jaehan and Hangyeom both explained that they put up with everything because they felt it was their last chance, and the members talked about incidents of verbal/emotional abuse. Jaechan talked about how she used death as a threat, “She would threaten us that we should ‘grovel’ if we wanted to remain as Omega X and that she would either kill us or kill herself if we didn’t.” Yechan talked about realizing they were emotionally manipulated, “We felt like fools when we realized that we were being gaslighted. When the older members were called for drinks, I wanted to tag along and help. We got in the habit of just laughing it over with jokes or trying to forget it.“

It got to the point where member Hangyeom would need treatment for anxiety and he still feels scared about her calling. He said a panic attack was the reason he missed the Mexico City performance, and in relation to that described one grim interaction with the CEO.

“Before I went to the hospital, I told her once that her behavior was literally making it hard for me to breathe properly. When I told her I couldn’t breathe, she mocked me saying, ‘We’re going to get articles about Song Han-gyeom’s anxiety orders leads him to quit the band.’ I was shocked.“

Regarding the day that started all of this, Yechan says they were hiding from her and the hotel stepped in, “On the day of the verbal and physcial assault that took place at the end of our tour, we locked ourselves in our hotel and tried to hide. We asked the hotel to separate us from the company and protected ourselves until the moment we left the country.“

Remarkably, it seems she was threatening them until the end.

.@OmegaX_official's Junghoon: We haven't received any sincere apology from the CEO. In fact, she mentioned military issues and threatened us with a statement of accounts, and we thought that we wouldn't be able to (solve the problem) by having conversations. #ProtectOMEGA_X— KpopHerald (@Kpop_Herald) November 16, 2022

Glad they protected himself, because Jaehan also confirmed that they were sexually harassed and assaulted by the CEO, and Sebin explained that she plied them with drinks. Their lawyer also said they have evidence of all of this.

Jaehan explained that the CEO called them up and sexually assaulted and harassed them, “CEO Kang Sung-hee used to call us after our training, forced us to drink and sexually harassed us by making sexual remarks or touching our thighs and faces.”

Sebin: “When we refused to go to drinks, the company CEO threatened us that there will be no next album and force us to get drunk.”

Perhaps most impressive was the general slant towards emphasizing that this is an industry problem as well. Taedong began by speaking up about abuse happening at his previous agency as well.

Taedong: “I’m sure not all agencies are like this, but I believe that many hopeful K-pop trainees and even active K-pop singers are being mistreated and exploited. I used to practice for 15 to 17 hours every day in my last agency without a day off.” They took my phone and demanded by passcode. Verbal and physical abuse also took place at my last agency.”

And Hangyeom followed up with confirming abuse at his as well, “There was abuse in my old agency, too. I wasn’t beaten but other members were, at the office or even during tours.“

Yechan spoke on bringing attention to the wider issue that this is still going on and that he hopes changes can be made.

“I’ve seen internet comments that read ‘It’s hard to believe such things are still happening these days.’ We are here because of the people who take an interest in us and love us, but there are still people out there being gaslighted and mistreated.”

“I hope that these things can be reflected onto contracts. I hope there are committees or related government bodies that can protect people like us.”

They finished with thank yous and messages to fans, even in English.

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Yeah, again, they did exceptionally well here to not only speak their truth but also somehow still manage to fit in the bigger picture within the industry and call for wider change. All the respect to them and I can’t root for these guys hard enough.