EXPLANATION ON ARTICLES RELATED TO BOM
Dear readers, this is Yang Hyun Suk.
I am here to give you a brief explanation of the misunderstandings that surfaced last night.
Why is Yang explaining this in writing, instead of announcing the agency’s official stance?
I would like to point out the articles refer to the incident that occurred 4 years ago.
Back then, BOM’s parents paid a private visit to inform me her family had been investigated due to the incident,
And revealed to me for the first time, in private, a shocking incident BOM experienced
in the past along with her medical history.
So until the articles were published, neither YG members nor the members of 2NE1 had the knowledge about the incident.
Thus I thought it was right to explain the incident myself,
as I personally heard the story,
Rather than making an official announcement by the agency that was not informed of the incident earlier.
As the Executive Producer, what are your thoughts on the incident?
I have seen 2NE1 for 9 years since they were trainees.
The last 9 years we spent together tells me that
none of the members smoke… nor do they drink much…
Apart from official events, I have never even seen them go clubbing in private.
That is my knowledge, and I have never heard rumors on these issues either.
And the articles turned BOM, whom I knew for 9 years, into a “drug smuggler” overnight.
I am left aghast and am at a complete loss for words.
Do I need to give an explanation to something that does not make sense? Would that create more trouble?
I had to give it a lot of thought before I reached a conclusion.
For the fans cheering on for 2NE1, who are now in the middle of their World Tour…
And for BOM, who is like a sister to me, who is now labeled a “drug smuggler” overnight,
I could do more than just watch these things happen to her.
What is the truth?
As the fans would already know, BOM lived in the U.S. for a long period of time before making a debut as 2NE1
And she once had a dream of becoming a soccer player.
But unfortunately, she had to witness a close friend’s death during a soccer match
and she was put into deep shock and sadness that were too hard for a young girl to handle.
She went through very difficult times, having to undergo psychotherapy and psychological treatment at the same time.
She had been consistently taking medication officially prescribed by a famous university-affiliated hospital in the U.S.
Since the incident BOM was no longer able to play soccer and decided to become a singer
She came back to South Korea and auditioned for YG, and I remember the day vividly.
The reason I so clearly remember her out of many
is her fearlessness when she declared, “I will not be a singer if I couldn’t belong to YG Entertainment.”
She did not pass that year, but she came back the following year and failed again,
but in the 3rd public audition she ranked #1 among thousands of contestants—that is how I remember her distinctly.
The reason I bring up stories that seem unrelated is that
although I first met BOM 11 years ago,
I never knew about BOM’s soccer background or her medical history until her father explained it to me 4 years ago
And she never told 2NE1 members any of this—
which only shows that this remains a painful memory she does not want to disclose.
However, despite my intentions, I am in the position to reveal the story.
BOM had been taking medication officially prescribed by the U.S. hospital for years until 4 years ago,
but as she was unable to fly to the U.S. due to busy schedules,
BOM’s mother and grandmother had to post the medication prescribed by the same hospital to South Korea.
The problem at the customs arose as the medication happened to be banned in South Korea.
Fortunately, we received all the prescriptions and BOM’s medical record from the U.S. hospital,
and we handed them in during the investigation.
The case had since been closed, as all the record submitted had been proved true.
It is said the medication contains narcotic components—were you informed of this?
What kind of mother or grandmother gets her daughter or granddaughter narcotics?
Nowadays most medications require doctor’s prescription,
and how many people take medicine fully knowing what it contains?
As I said on the program “Healing Camp” a few years ago,
I also have to carry tranquilizers and take it everyday due to a panic disorder.
I am not curious of what the medication actually contains, and I would not know even if I were told of the contents.
For BOM, she only knew the medication she had been taking for years was not handled in South Korea,
but did not have the knowledge that it is prohibited for import.
Since she was informed of the fact 4 years ago during the investigation,
she replaced the medication to one that is prescribed by a university-affiliated hospital in South Korea.
I had not seen BOM for a while since she was busy with the World Tour,
And just last night she came into the office for recording, and the articles were published.
I had to watch BOM break into tears all night,
and I feel terrible that I am in the position
to bring up her painful past that she did not want to reveal.
I extend my deepest apology for causing any worries
And would like to humbly conclude my explanation.
I will be back with better news in the near future. Thank you.
2014. 07 .01
Yours sincerely,
YANG HYUN SUK
