Fans who asked Sechs Kies to remove Ko Ji-yong's name from the group's profile eight years ago have now issued a statement saying they "strongly oppose" his return to the group. At the same time, the concert announcing Ko's participation has come under fire over its high ticket prices.
On Monday, the Sechs Kies fan union issued a statement saying, "We express our deep regret over Ko Ji-yong's recent attempt to rejoin Sechs Kies activities and participate in the group's reunion, and strongly oppose it."
The fans said, "Since its debut in 1997, Sechs Kies has been a precious name preserved through the members' and fans' hard work, dedication and affection. Even after Ko Ji-yong announced that he would leave group activities and focus on his primary career, he caused considerable hurt and disappointment among fans by allegedly using the brand value of Sechs Kies and the affection of its fandom for personal gain and commercial promotion without authorization."
The group also made three demands to protect Sechs Kies' continued activities and identity: opposition to Ko's return to the group and participation in all activities; an immediate halt to efforts by the agency and related parties to bring him back; and an end to all commercial activities in which Ko uses the Sechs Kies trademark or the group's name for personal purposes.
"Proceeding with his return despite betraying fans' trust will only damage the group's overall image and divide the fandom," the statement said. "We urge those involved to make the choice that protects the precious value of Sechs Kies." The fans also said they would continue their protest through various means until their demands were met.
The latest statement was prompted by news that Ko would return to the stage with Sechs Kies.
Ko announced that he would appear alongside Lee Jae-jin and Jang Su-won at "THE TREE in INSPIRE – The Untold Story of Sechs Kies," scheduled for Dec. 15 and 16 at Inspire Arena in Incheon.
The event was organized ahead of Sechs Kies' 30th debut anniversary in 2027 and will mark the first official performance featuring the three members together. It will also be the first time in about 10 years that Ko has appeared on an official stage with Sechs Kies members, following the group's reunion performance on MBC's "Infinite Challenge" in 2016. However, Eun Ji-won and Kim Jae-duk will not participate in the event.
Fans have clashed with Ko over similar issues in the past.
In 2018, the Sechs Kies fan union issued a statement calling for Ko to be removed from the group's profiles on major portal websites. At the time, fans alleged that people associated with Ko's company and business ventures had used the Sechs Kies brand and fandom to promote commercial activities.
YG Entertainment, which managed Sechs Kies at the time, responded by saying, "The possibility of Ko Ji-yong reuniting with the group in the future is low." The agency subsequently revised the group's profiles on portal websites in response to the fans' request.
Meanwhile, "The Untold Story of Sechs Kies" has also faced controversy over high prices after reports cited accommodation packages costing 454,000 won for a double room, 568,400 won for a business deluxe room and 898,400 won for a suite.
Mountain Movement Story, which is involved in organizing the event, clarified that the figures referred to sample room rates at the Inspire hotel, not concert ticket prices.
"The room rates were mistakenly reported as event ticket prices," the company said, adding that it wanted to correct the facts.
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