Poppin Hyun Joon Faces New Allegations of Past Assaults from Former Dance Crew Members

Following his resignation from a professorial position due to inappropriate remarks towards students, performance artist Poppin Hyun Joon (Nam Hyun Joon) is now embroiled in further controversy with new allegations of assault from former members of his dance crew.

On the broadcast of JTBC's 'Incident Briefing' on the 15th, multiple informants came forward with testimonies claiming they were physically assaulted by Poppin Hyun Joon approximately 20 years ago.

One former crew member, identified as Mr. A, stated, "We were beaten severely. We were hit with fists and feet, and slapped. My glasses were bent when I was hit in the face while wearing them, and I sustained a perforated eardrum from a blow to the ear, leaving me partially deaf for a period."

He further alleged, "After a regional performance, I was assaulted at a rest stop for making a mistake in the choreography. When a passerby tried to intervene, he abandoned me at a gas station and drove back to Seoul alone."

Another informant, Mr. B, shared that he had to give up his dream of becoming a dancer due to Poppin Hyun Joon's assaults. "He hit my face with his casted arm, and the impact caused a knee injury that prevented me from continuing to b-boy. Fluid accumulated in my knee, forcing me to stop practicing and eventually quit dancing," he recounted.

Mr. B added that his subsequent messages to Poppin Hyun Joon demanding an apology were ignored.

Mr. C claimed that in the summer of 2002, he was assaulted for reasons such as "the drink was too hot," "the side dishes were not to my liking," or "lack of manners."

The informants expressed, "Assaults were common back then. If we protested, we were told to 'endure it' or 'it could happen,'" and "There was a perception that if Poppin Hyun Joon singled you out, you couldn't continue your career in the scene."

In a phone call with 'Incident Briefing,' Poppin Hyun Joon denied all allegations, stating, "Nothing like that happened. I swear, but I'm small in stature and don't resort to violence." He also countered, "How could I hit someone with a cast? My elbow was fractured and I still can't fully extend it." Regarding Mr. C's claims, he dismissed them as "baseless character assassination" and recalled going straight home that day because it was cold on the bus.

Previously, Poppin Hyun Joon faced backlash for making sexually humiliating remarks to students during his tenure as an adjunct professor at Baekseok University of the Arts. Students alleged he repeatedly used profanity and demeaning language in class.

Amidst the growing controversy, he posted on SNS on the 13th, "As an educator, I caused discomfort to students with inappropriate remarks and behavior. I deeply regret my actions," and "I take responsibility and am resigning from my professorial position." However, the controversy has reignited with the surfacing of past assault allegations following his resignation.

Korean netizens are closely watching the situation, with comments like 'An unprecedented scandal has broken out,' 'I hope the truth comes to light,' and 'Shouldn't he apologize?' flooding online communities.