Singer MC Mong will temporarily suspend his TikTok Live broadcasts after 10 months.
On October 20, MC Mong announced this decision during a TikTok Live session, expressing gratitude to his viewers.
He plans to end his TikTok broadcasts on October 31 and take a break for about three to six months. However, he clarified that the suspension is not due to the recent controversies surrounding him.
MC Mong began his TikTok Live sessions in December 2022, where he interacted with fans while mentioning the names of entertainment figures and revealing internal matters of his agency, which caused significant repercussions. Some of his statements led to rebuttals from the individuals involved and legal actions, resulting in public apologies.
The most significant controversy arose in May when he alleged the existence of illegal gambling rings involving celebrities during a live broadcast, naming singer and actor Kim Min-jong as being implicated. Kim Min-jong's camp immediately denied the allegations and pursued legal action for defamation due to the spread of false information. However, after MC Mong met with Kim Min-jong to apologize, the conflict was resolved when Kim Min-jong's side withdrew the lawsuit.
MC Mong also stirred controversy with comments regarding the contract dispute involving the group The Boyz and their agency, One Hundred. During a TikTok Live on May 18, he claimed that a total of 1.65 billion won (approximately $1.4 million) was paid as a signing bonus for each member when The Boyz was recruited, and that 700 million won was invested in album production.
He criticized members who demanded to terminate their contracts, stating they should return at least 800 million won of the signing bonus. In this context, he referred to the members as 'difficult' in a strong manner.
At that time, nine members of The Boyz had notified One Hundred of their intent to terminate their contracts and had filed a lawsuit against the agency's chairman, Cha Ga-won, for embezzlement under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes.
MC Mong's mention of EXO member Baekhyun also caused a stir. During the same May 18 broadcast, he claimed that a relative of One Hundred's chairman had encouraged Baekhyun to gamble. Following the backlash from the gambling allegations involving Baekhyun, MC Mong apologized during a live broadcast the next day, expressing his regret and stating, 'Baekhyun is a really good person, and I don't want to talk about it anymore.'
In July, MC Mong's announcement of concert plans led to further controversy. On July 15, he stated during a TikTok Live that he would hold solo concerts on August 14 and 16 at Yes24 Live Hall in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul.
However, the venue later clarified that they had not received any inquiries regarding MC Mong's performance, raising questions about the actual concert's feasibility. The situation changed when the concerts proceeded as scheduled on the announced dates, and despite ticket prices set at 132,000 won (approximately $110), they sold out quickly, demonstrating his continued ticket-selling power. The performances were held with a capacity of 1,051 seats per show, totaling 2,102 seats.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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