K-pop group RIIZE declares war on online trolls
K-pop boy band RIIZE will take legal action against those who have spread groundless rumors about its members. Its agency, SM Entertainment, made the announcement, Wednesday, two days after two RIIZE members — Anton and Eunseok — were mired in dating rumors.
“We have noticed the consistent spread of false rumors,” read the company’s statement. “There are even some online posts making personal attacks on our singers and insulting them. Since all these are crimes, we will file a complaint against the offenders and there will be no leniency.”
On Monday, a photo of a man, who appears to be RIIZE’s Korean American member Anton, holding hands with a woman was revealed online. The picture, which was reportedly taken on a street in the U.S., immediately went viral, prompting speculation that the K-pop singer is in a long-distance relationship with her. The woman later denied this on Instagram, saying she and Anton are just friends.
On the same day, member Eunseok was also caught up in dating rumors with a non-celebrity.
Shortly after SM issued a statement threatening legal action, Anton and Eunseok dismissed the rumors during a live stream on the fan platform Weverse, apologizing to their followers for fueling concerns.
“A lot of things had happened over the past few days, and I was upset since there were so many stories that were different from my feelings,” said Anton. “I am really sorry to my fans for the things they had to feel because of these unintended parts.”
Eunseok said, “The first thing I want to say is that I did not do anything that you were worried about. I hope you trust me.”
RIIZE burst onto the K-pop scene last September with the debut album, “Get A Guitar.” It is one of the most sought-after rookie boy bands at the moment, with “Get A Guitar” selling more than 1 million copies during the first week of its release. The group is scheduled to hold a fan event titled, “2024 RIIZE FAN-CON TOUR ‘RIIZING DAY’” in Seoul on May 4-5.