Credits: JPopAsia.com
On September 10th, JYP posted a personal statement on the JYP Entertainment home page to address the current 2PM controversy.
Many unexpected events happened within a short span of time, and the man, himself, hadn’t released his own thoughts on the issues. Finally, here is what JYP Entertainment CEO and 2PM Jae-bum’s boss had to say regarding the former leader’s MySpace comments and his sudden decision to quit.
I have received much shock from what Jae-bum wrote four years ago to his friend. Could it have been another celebrity, I myself would have felt much anger, resentment, and abandonment at his words. But I have known Jae-bum for so long that his words did not surprise me. I already knew Jaebum was that kind of child.
When Jae-bum first came to Korea four years ago, he was very rebellious and out of line. He laughed at Korea and belittled his fellow trainees, even going so far as to see me as ‘easy.’ I believe he thought that being a Korean celebrity was something to laugh at. He was a boy that wanted to b-boy in the streets. He fought with company employees, his choreography instructors, and made threats.
At times, he even said that he did not like JYP Entertainment., and would name another rival company, wishing to be sent over there instead. But what surprised us even more was that when asked whether he had the guts to succeed, he replied, “We do better if we don’t get JYP’s music.”
At this point, employees wondered why we were keeping such a troublesome boy. This is why his words four years ago are not suprising.
Then why would we keep such a kid?
I love rebellious children. Rather than children that are nice up front but calculating and evil behind my back, I love children that are rebellious in my face. I loved the fact that he straightforwardly showed his feelings. It gave me hope. Who would have the guts to utter such words to my face? To say that his failure was caused by my bad music? I thought that was hilarious.
I believed that rebellious children in general had too much energy and just no place to express it, or they never met someone before that would trust them enough to show them the correct path. I wanted to support this kind of person to go on stage, and feel the energy and joy. As long as I could instill within him trust and love.
For Jae-bum, there are only two types of people: his family, and those that are not his family. He loves his family more than anything else. The reason he always talks about money during interviews is not to buy nice clothes, but it is to pay back his family, who always works hard for him. That’s why he pursued the path of becoming a singer.
He was rebellious, but he excelled in training. I saw this, and thought, ‘if only I could make him think of my company, his fellow trainees, this company as his family. If only.’
So one day, I told him, “Jae-bum, family isn’t just those who share your blood. Please open your heart to them first. Then others can be your family too.” Through these efforts, he began to change… He began to hug his fellow trainees, start conversations with company employees, and began enjoying his time on the stage. He finally began to express his energy on stage and began to shine through singing and dancing.
I chose him as the team’s leader. The rest of the six really believed in him and followed his lead. He always trained with them and always thought of his younger members before himself. After his debut, he experienced a change in his heart toward the news reporters and attention that showed him in a positive light and began showing more affection.
He was touched by the hearts of his fans. Good people, good friends, good fans… good music… through all this, he began to change. But as things began to go up, like a tragic movie scene, his entry from four years ago was released.
He was so sorry. To his 2PM brothers, to me, to his company employees, to his fans…and to nobody more than to his fellow Koreans. He thought to himself that if he stayed any longer, his brothers would only suffer more pain. He told me he did not have the confidence to get up on stage.
I knew what he was saying too well to hold him back. If I were him, I would have made the same decision. Thus, he left.
His last email to me said ‘I was really a little punk in the past, wasn’t I? I just want to let you know that this was truly a life changing experience. I’ve become a much better and stronger person because of you. I’m so thankful for everything that you have done for me. Real talk.’
My heart was ripping. It hurt. But knowing what Koreans would feel at his words, an immense sense of betrayal, I could not say anything. What I can do for him, however, is to reveal to everyone that his public persona on TV was not fake. He might have been rebellious but never fake. He never hid his true emotions. He was always upfront and sincere, and that is something that can never change.
I hear the public and the fans, and I am taking in your opinions, but the most important thing to realize is that Jae-bum is not 2PM’s Park Jae-bum but a child, a teenager Jae-bum.
I genuinely wish for you all to hold his decision true. I apologize once more.
JYP
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