Xdinary Heroes' Geonil admits to disparaging remarks about fans, says they targeted 'malicious' followers

Geonil, who has departed from the band Xdinary Heroes, has spoken out about his situation.

On Thursday, Geonil posted a lengthy message on a fan communication platform, writing that it would "likely be my last farewell as an Xdinary Heroes member." He added, "I truly wanted to remain in Xdinary Heroes until the very end and protect the six of us. But as you know, I had no choice but to accept the company's decision."

Geonil described the person behind the posts that sparked the controversy as "someone I came to know through an acquaintance and met for about two weeks."

He then acknowledged, "I am the one who made inappropriate remarks about fans in the phone call recording that was made public to Villains," adding, "Regardless of the reason, the fact that I said those things does not change. I sincerely apologize to everyone who was disappointed and hurt." Villains is the official fandom name of Xdinary Heroes.

Geonil said that "earlier this year, sasaeng fans broke into our dorm, and some even attached a GPS tracker to my personal vehicle and followed me," explaining that the incidents left him with "a great deal of fear and resentment toward some malicious fans" and that he "went through an extremely difficult time emotionally."

He drew a line, however, saying that "the target of my emotional remarks at the time was a small number of malicious fans who hid behind anonymity to indiscriminately criticize us or invade our privacy," and that the words "were absolutely not directed at all the Villains who believed in and supported us."

On his fellow members, Geonil said it "would also be a lie to say I never had a single grievance," but added that he could "say without an ounce of shame that I genuinely cherished and loved the members during my time as an Xdinary Heroes member, and that I was always grateful for the love Villains showed us."

The controversy erupted after an internet user identifying herself as Geonil's ex-girlfriend posted messenger chat logs and a phone call transcript on social media. The recording contained remarks in which Geonil expressed complaints about fellow members and directed profanity at some fans.

JYP Entertainment, the group's agency, announced Thursday that it had "decided to terminate the exclusive contract by mutual agreement, having determined that it would no longer be possible to continue activities together as a team." Xdinary Heroes, which debuted in 2021, will carry on as a five-member group.