Sechs Kies fan union opposes Ko Ji-yong's return to group

A Sechs Kies fan union has issued a public statement opposing Ko Ji-yong's return to the group, after he announced plans to take the stage under the Sechs Kies name alongside Lee Jae-jin and Jang Su-won for the first time in about a decade.

The statement was posted Monday on the Sechs Kies gallery of online community site DC Inside.

"We express deep regret over Ko Ji-yong's recent attempts to rejoin Sechs Kies activities and participate in the group's reunion, and hereby issue a statement strongly opposing this," the fan union wrote.

The union said Sechs Kies has been "a precious name preserved through the blood, sweat and love of its members and fans since its debut in 1997." It accused Ko of having "inflicted great pain and disappointment on fans" by exploiting the group's brand value and the fandom's support for personal gain and commercial promotion — even after declaring he would step away from group activities to focus on his own career.

The union went on to say that "any attempt to resume activities under the team's name as needed, without showing sincere conduct after declaring non-participation in group activities, cannot be tolerated," and demanded that "the push to bring Ko Ji-yong back be stopped immediately."

The union also urged Ko to "immediately cease all commercial and personal activities using the Sechs Kies trademark and the group's name," warning that a forced reunion that betrays fans' trust "will only damage the group's image and divide the fandom." It added: "We sternly demand that he no longer use the group's reputation to cause confusion among fans and the public."

According to Mountain Movement Story, Ko, Jang and Lee are set to hold "THE TREE in INSPIRE — Sechs Kies' Unfinished Story" at Inspire Arena in Incheon on Dec. 15 and 16 at 6 p.m.

The event was organized ahead of Sechs Kies' 30th debut anniversary next year. Members Eun Ji-won and Kim Jae-deok will not participate.

Ko left the entertainment industry after Sechs Kies disbanded in 2000 and focused on business. When the group reunited on MBC's "Infinite Challenge" in 2016, he made only a single surprise appearance and did not take part in further activities. Sechs Kies has operated as a four-member group since Kang Sung-hoon's departure in 2019.

This is not the first time the fan union and Ko have clashed.

In 2018, the union issued a statement calling for Ko to be removed from Sechs Kies' profiles on major portal sites.

At the time, fans claimed that Ko's employer and business associates had used the Sechs Kies brand and fandom for promotional purposes, and asked YG Entertainment — the group's agency at the time — to have Ko removed from the group's portal site profiles.

In response, YG Entertainment said "the likelihood of Ko Ji-yong rejoining is low" and announced it would officially request that portal sites update the profiles in line with fans' wishes.