The Korea Herald

지나쌤

Knife-wielding assailant breaks into JYP building

By Korea Herald

Published : July 18, 2014 - 20:04

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A knife-wielding man has been arrested for creating a ruckus at the JYP Entertainment headquarters.

A 34-year-old man, surnamed Choi, passed the first-floor security gate to the JYP Entertainment building in Gangnam, Seoul, on Thursday by closely tailing a company employee, according to police reports.

Thwarting attempts by employees to block him, Choi made it all the way up to the recording room on the third floor, demanding a meeting with the company’s CEO Park Jin-young.
CEO of JYP Entertainment Park Jin-young. (JYP Entertainment) CEO of JYP Entertainment Park Jin-young. (JYP Entertainment)

After his request was rejected by a secretary, he threw a 30-cm-long kitchen knife inside the room. No one was injured and the incident was soon settled as the police arrived within 10 minutes.

Choi reportedly vented his anger at JYP Entertainment after receiving no word about a job application he sent the agency.

“I sent in an application to enter JYP Entertainment two years ago, yet I didn’t receive any response or meet with Park ― therefore, I decided to come (to the agency’s building) myself,” Choi told the police.

Police officials are now carrying out an investigation into the specific motives and reasons why Choi was armed when he decided to break into the agency’s building.

JYP Entertainment, led by Park Jin-young, is one of South Korea’s three major entertainment agencies alongside YG Entertainment and SM Entertainment. Park’s agency is home to a number of popular K-pop acts including Miss A, 2PM, 2AM, Wonder Girls and GOT7.

By Sohn Ji-young (jiyoung.sohn@heraldcorp.com)