Key of SHINee, Photo courtesy of|SM Entertainment

Key of the group SHINee, who is suspected of being entangled in the so-called ‘Jusaimo Gate’, is facing a flood of calls to clarify. In particular, when Jung Jae-hyung, who faced the allegation, immediately denied it as “groundless”, even fans are expressing concern and urging Key to state his position as soon as possible.

The ‘Jusaimo Gate’ began with controversy surrounding broadcaster Park Na-rae. Recently, Dispatch raised allegations that Park Na-rae abused her former manager and received illegal medical treatment from A, known as ‘Jusaimo’. The side of Park Na-rae explained, “We understood that she had a medical license. It was simply a nutrient injection,” but the Korean Medical Association filed a complaint with prosecutors against Park Na-rae and A, further escalating the case.

Key of SHINee, Park Na-rae. Yonhap News

On the 7th, A posted on Instagram a photo taken in a doctor's gown at a hospital in Inner Mongolia, China, and countered, “Twelve to thirteen years ago, I shuttled to and from Inner Mongolia and studied hard, and I served as the youngest professor, the first among domestic and foreign nationals, at Inner Mongolia Pogang Medical University Hospital. I even brought in the Korea Plastic Surgery Center.” However, whether A had obtained a medical license in Korea was not revealed, and A even deleted the social media account, drawing even greater suspicion.

Because of A's social media, attention then shifted to Key. On online communities, photos and videos that were claimed to be traces of Key on A's social media spread rapidly. In the video, A greets a brown poodle ‘Kkomde’ and a gray poodle ‘Garcon’, who appear to be Key's dogs. “Garcon, it has been a long time, oh dear~,” and “Kkomde, you are standing guard to see whether I go or not, right,” A says. They look similar to the companion dogs Key showed on MBC ‘I Live Alone’, and comments poured in that the home layout also seemed similar.

That was not all. A also posted what were claimed to be screenshots of messages exchanged with Key, and boasted of familiarity by uploading photos of autographed CDs and photo cards from Key's second full-length album released in 2022, ‘Gasoline’. Based on these circumstances, users are pouring out suspicions that A and Key may have been in contact for a long time.

A signature from Key that A claims to have posted on social media.

Additionally, posts exchanged between Onew, a member of the same team, and A were also unearthed, fanning the flames. On Onew's autographed CD, it reads, “OO older sister, thank you for teaching me how to speak and live, and for becoming a bamboo grove for me. It is embarrassing, but if I do that my face will flip over, so I will endure. Thank you.” A also replied, “You really went through a lot because of this album, but it came out so well that I am happy. You will do even better going forward, so do not overexert yourself trying too hard, do not get sick, just keep doing as you are now. Onew, you are already a wonderful artist.”

As the situation spread, attention turned to the stance of SM Entertainment, Key's agency. If it is merely an acquaintance, some argue they should state their position to clearly dispel suspicions that, like Park Na-rae, he received illegal medical treatment. In addition, Jung Jae-hyung, who had faced the allegation, stated through his agency Antenna, “We convey our position to correct the spread of stories that are not true,” and declared, “To prevent any further misunderstanding regarding the variety show episode at the center of controversy, we clearly state that we have nothing to do with the matter in any way. We have no acquaintance with A, nor even any prior contact.” With this immediate denial, demands are surging for Key to explain as soon as possible. Attention is on whether SM Entertainment, which remains silent so far, will respond to the requests of fans who are worried about Key.