K-Pop Group iKON Loses Member B.I. After Reports He Allegedly Attempted to Buy Drugs
The frontman of K-pop group iKON, Kim Han Bin, better known by his onstage moniker B.I, is reportedly leaving the group and his label YG Entertainment after reports claimed he attempted to buy drugs in 2016.
Per Billboard, multiple local reports surfaced on the matter following an exposé published by Korean tabloid Dispatch that showed screenshots of B.I’s alleged text conversations, in which it appears he tried to obtain marijuana and LSD.
B.I announced he was leaving the band on June 12, with a succinct post on his Instagram account. “I’m deeply sorry for causing a controversy over my inappropriate behavior. It’s true that I had interest in something to rely on which I shouldn’t have at one point when I was having a hard time. But I was too scared and worried to follow through,” his statement read, per a KPop Herald translation.
YG Entertainment — home to acts such as BIGBANG and BLACKPINK — confirmed it had rescinded B.I’s contract shortly after his announcement. “We bow our heads and apologize for disappointing everyone with our artist Kim Han Bin’s problem,” the company declared in a statement obtained by Soompi. “Kim Han Bin is feeling heavy responsibility due to the impact of this matter. Taking the matter seriously, he has decided to leave the team and terminate his exclusive contract.”
Per Dispatch, the seller that B.I. allegedly spoke to had been arrested almost three years ago.
After the statement, iKONics, as the group's fandom is known, and multiple K-pop fans have taken to Twitter to show their support for iKON’s now former leader — making the hashtag #HanbinSTAYWITHUS trend on Twitter and even changing their icons and layouts to red as a movement.
“Our color is red. Red for love, red for passion, red for the thread that links us all. But rn, the red needs to turn into the red of anger, anger toward the way they treated iKON from the beginning, company that let go of our leader! We all should be angry,” one iKONic wrote.
This isn’t the first artist YG has let go in 2019. According to Soompi, BIGBANG’s Seungri also left the company, in March, after another controversy. Incidentally, following B.I’s departure, YG has been put under further scrutiny as, per Forbes, the company’s founder, Yang Hyun-Suk, has been accused in a local media report of soliciting prostitution for investors; he has denied the allegations.
Teen Vogue has reached out to YG Entertainment for comment.
Let us slide into your DMs. Sign up for the Teen Vogue daily email.
Want more from Teen Vogue? Check this out: Fans Think These Two K-Pop Stars Were Fired From Their Label Because of Their Relationship
Originally Appeared on Teen Vogue
