Kang Hyun, who appeared on Mnet's hip-hop competition program 'High School Rapper 4' Photo by 'High School Rapper 4' broadcast video capture
[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Eun-young] Mnet's hip-hop competition program 'High School Rapper 4' announced on the 20th that contestant Kang Hyun (19), who was accused of sexual assault, has withdrawn from the show.
On the 20th, Mnet stated, "'High School Rapper 4' contestant Kang Hyun expressed his apology for causing controversy and conveyed his decision to withdraw."
They added, "Before the broadcast began, we held several in-depth meetings with the 40 contestants, but during that process, we did not hear about any related issues. After seeing the related post, we confirmed the facts with him."
Earlier that day, around 1 a.m., a post was uploaded on an online community accusing Kang Hyun of sexual assault in the past.
The author of the post said, "In the summer of 2018, I was sexually assaulted at Kang Hyun's studio in Bupyeong, Incheon," and added, "As a victim, it is very frightening and shameful to see that person on the broadcast. The incident remains a significant trauma for me."
According to the post, Kang Hyun reportedly received a fine of about 2 million won for this incident.
Meanwhile, as the contestant withdrew due to sexual assault allegations immediately after appearing on the first broadcast on the 19th, 'High School Rapper' once again drew criticism from netizens over contestant controversies.
Netizens responded with comments such as, "If you can't properly verify the cast, just cancel the program," and "I don't want to see entertainers with bad character."
Meanwhile, in season 1, which aired in 2017, singers Yang Hong-won and Jang Yong-jun appeared, but issues such as school violence and arranged meetings surfaced. Jang voluntarily withdrew, but Yang won season 1 without withdrawing.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
