Omega X is a boy band from South Korea who performed music in the K-pop genre. The band started in 2021 and were created and managed by Spire Entertainment.
There were 11 members of Omega X: Jaehan, Hwichan, Sebin, Hangyeom, Taedong, Xen, Jehyun, Kevin, Junghoon, Hyuk and Yechan.
Spire Entertainment CEO Kang Seong Hee was accused of abusing members of the Omega X band after an undercover video surfaced in October 2022.
Spire CEO Accused Of Assaulting Omega X Member
Kang Seong Hee, the CEO of Omega X’s agency Spire Entertainment, was accused of verbally and physically abusing members of the group.
The SBS news agency published a video that purportedly showed Kang yelling at band member Jaehan at an event in Los Angeles.
Omega X was in Los Angeles for the American leg of their “2022 OMEGA X WORLD TOUR [CONNECT: Don’t give up].”
“Do you really think you deserved to be loved by all these people, you bastards? You don’t even know what it means to be loved. You’re all just fucking manipulative,” Kang said in the recording.
Speaking to Jaehan, Kang said, “Poor Mister Kim. Just quit being an idol, really. You’re sick all the time.”
Video: Kang Seong Hee confronting Omega X
Omega X Stranded In Los Angeles, Tickets Canceled
After the confrontation between Kang and the group, Omega X reportedly had their plane tickets from Los Angeles to Korea canceled.
SBS News reported that the plane tickets were canceled after the video of the confrontation circulated online.
SBS reported that Omega X band members ultimately had to purchase their own tickets to return to South Korea.
#ProtectOMEGA_X Trended Online
After the video was released, an audio clip showing purported abuse of the band circulated online.
The clip, posted by @hwi_418, also said, “Guys, I was waiting for the Uber that I called outside and I saw the company CEO hitting the members. I really didn’t know what to do since my hands were shaking so much. They were being hit right in front of me but I couldn’t do anything.”
In response, fans of Omega X posted critical tweets, using the hashtag #ProtectOMEGA_X
Spire Entertainment Responded To Video
Spire Entertainment released a statement on October 24 2022 in response to the video of alleged abuse. In their statement, the company expressed their “apology” for “having caused concern through this unpleasant news.”
“At the time, having completed the tour, the OMEGA X members and the agency were talking about how hard they had respectively worked up until then, in order to make plans for the future. In the process, they wound up airing their grievances against one another, and as they became worked up due to their emotions, they began raising their voices,” Spire claimed.
“The conversation continued even after the meal, but by continuing their discussions, the members and the agency have currently resolved all their misunderstandings, and they ended the conversation by saying that they wanted to move forward while being considerate of each other.”
Kang Seong Hee Blamed Controversy On “Anti-Fan”
In a statement, Spire CEO Kang Seong Hee blamed the controversy over her relationship with Omega X on an anti-fan who was “hostile toward the management.”
From Kang: “It’s a one-sided allegation started by an anti-fan who is hostile toward the management. I was exhausted because I’ve been up for several nights in a row. I even had a bloody nose because I was so tired. But the members didn’t think to make me feel better. They didn’t care about me. So I felt upset and acted out of disappointment. Usually, I’m extremely polite toward the members. I even use honorifics when I talk to them.”
One of the first political bloggers in the world, Oliver Willis has operated OliverWillis.com since 2000. Contributor at Media Matters for America and The American Independent. Follow on Twitter at @owillis.
