Just days before Wonder Girls are set to return to the international
Just days before Wonder Girls are set to return to the international music scene with a brand new track, an ex-English tutor of the group has spoken about JYP Entertainment’s treatment of their star female group in the US.
Daniel Gauss, who worked for the company from October 2009 until May 2010, claims that none of the group members have received health insurance during their time in America, and thus have not been able to seek medical treatment when it has been needed, “I was shocked when one of the girls told me that the girls are not covered by health insurance in America. I once saw one girl in extreme pain — due to a pre-existing problem stemming from a previous operation — who received no professional medical treatment for the pain and I saw others with minor ailments go untreated.”
He continued to mention illegal activities by JYPE, resulting in a fine of $2500 for housing the five girls in the JYPE office building in Manhatten. Gauss backed up his claims by providing Korea Herald with a link to New York City Department of Buildings during his email interview with them. It showed the fine given to JYPE for altering and changing an occupied building for residential use without a valid permit. JYPE have not since paid the fine and, according to Guass, were scheduled to appear in court over the matter last month.
Rumours spread across the internet last October that SunYe’s father had been rushed to hospital in a coma and she briefly had returned to Korea to see him. Gauss confirmed these rumours and stated that SunYe was required to meet with the other girls in China shortly after the incident to perform for Sony Ericsson representatives, “Her father had stopped breathing and had to be rushed to the hospital. In the ambulance, (Sunye) and her family had to decide whether the father should be given treatment to be kept alive since he had lapsed into a coma. The family chose to keep him alive and I was told by the girl that he was never going to come out of the coma.”
Gauss ensures that he has nothing to gain personally from revealing this information, but merely wants people to know the truth behind JYPE, “I believe my motives are genuine. I did not ask for any compensation for any of this information and I do not want any. I saw and heard about some nasty things at JYPE and I think people have a right to know the truth especially since the girls are under contract for the next three-plus years and might not be able to speak freely about negative aspects of their experience.”
Since this news was published, JYPE CEO JungWook has released a rebuttal statement. He did not deny that the girls were housed in the JYPE New York office, but stated that the building is much the same as the JYPE building in Seoul with two floors for living. He further claimed that Wonder Girls had refused an offer of a dorm in New Jersey. Jungwook added that the claims of Wonder Girls receiving no health insurance was nonsense.
This matter raises so many questions, especially about who is telling the truth. With the Wonder Girls comeback in 5 days and two more teasers to be revealed, I am sure this is not the publicity JYPE were hoping for at this time.
Could be a publicity stunt?
Source: Song Woong-ki @Korea Herald, Starnews
Translation: bossa747@twitter