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Kim Hyun-jae, a contestant on JTBC’s idol survival program Peak Time, shared that he has stepped down from the show in an Instagram post on March 13, 2023.
The contestant posted a message on his personal account stating that he did not want to cause any harm to his team members or the show. He did not admit to the charges but added that he did not want his group to undergo criticism because of him and that he is waiting for the day the truth comes out.
As per Soompi, he said:
“I decided to step down [from the show] thinking that I can no longer cause harm to the Peak Time program and the members of Team 24:00 while waiting for my innocence to be proven.”
JTBC confirms Kim Hyun-jae’s withdrawal from Peak Time in an official statement
On Monday, the same day as Kim Hyun-jae’s announcement, JTBC also released their official stance regarding his participation in Peak Time. It is a survival show created for idols in disbanded or unpopular groups to emerge with greater popularity.
The show made headlines for a different reason on March 6, when an anonymous netizen claimed that an idol on Peak Time had bullied them in school. The anonymous netizen, claiming to be Kim Hyun-jae’s classmate stated that the idol, had gaslighted them for a long period of time, as per Korea JoongAng Daily. The alleged victim also said that they felt anxious and nauseated seeing the idol appear on television. As it happens, the controversy gained more spotlight and went viral on the internet.
As usual, the next episode was released on March 8 and included parts with Kim Hyun-jae, leading to more online talks. JTBC then released an initial statement mentioning that they were “attempting to uncover the truth.” Finally, the production company released an official statement announcing Kim Hyun-jae’s removal from the show.
“This is the production team of JTBC’s Peak Time. We have been trying to be very careful in figuring out the facts of this case in which the two parties are making different claims so that no innocent victim will be generated. Today, after discussing and judging that this issue cannot be clearly concluded in a short period of time, the production team decided that Kim Hyun-jae willl be stepping down from the show.”
The agency added:
“Even at this moment, all participants are working hard to prove their values and protect their teams. We ask for your support for all the teams who are taking on the challenges with hope, and we will do our best to present viewers with great stages until the end. Thank you.”
Peak Time premiered on February 15, 2023, and has till now released five episodes. The show has 24 teams competing for a chance to get 300 million KRW, a global showcase and an album release.
The show is hosted by Lee Seung-gi and includes Tiffany Young, Jay Park, Kim Sung-kyu, Lee Gi-kwang, Shim Jae-won (SM Entertainment’s performance director) and Ryan S. Jhun (famous songwriter and producer).
It airs every Wednesday at 10.30 pm KST on JTBC, TVING, Viki, ABEMA and CS Channel.
