On the morning of June 12, Yong Jun-hyung posted a heartfelt message on his personal SNS account, addressing his past mistakes and the reasons for leaving HIGHLIGHT. He began by admitting, “I was so stupid and wrong at that time.”
Explaining his departure, Yong Jun-hyung said, “While being surrounded by criticism, I couldn’t correct the wrong situation and did not know what the right choice was. I was scared and didn’t want to cause damage to the company and the members with my issue. In the end, I decided to leave despite knowing that I would lose everything I had built in such a precious place that I considered everything to me for many years.”
Regarding the Burning Sun Scandal, he clarified, “He sent me a video with a black screen without explanation via individual message, so I pressed it. I didn’t know what the video was about or what his intention was until I watched the video.” He admitted he should have condemned the video but failed to do so, adding, “I never entered any group chat or got involved in the incident.”
Yong Jun-hyung expressed his frustration, stating, “Over the past years, many people and the media have been saying that I was one of the perpetrators in the case.” He emphasized that these allegations were false and that he had no involvement in the scandal.
Jun-hyung expresses regret over not condemning the video sent by Jung Joon-young.
Concluding his message, he said, “Even if it hurts me and leaves scars in my heart, I will try to hold myself back and endure everything. I will reflect deeply on things I couldn’t correct in the past as well as my foolish actions and words, and try to become more mature every day.”
When the Burning Sun Scandal broke out in 2019, it was revealed that Jung Joon-young had sent Yong Jun-hyung illegally filmed videos in 2015. Despite denying his involvement, Yong Jun-hyung left HIGHLIGHT in March 2019 to avoid further damage to the group.
