A Sechs Kies fans’ union has publicly opposed Ko Ji-yong’s return to the stage alongside his former bandmates, issuing a statement that calls on him and those behind the reunion to halt his participation and stop using the group’s trademark and name for commercial or personal activities.
The statement, titled in Korean as a strong objection to Ko rejoining Sechs Kies and resuming all activities, was posted on November 2 to the Sechs Kies gallery on the online community DC Inside, according to TenAsia. In it, the fans’ union said it expressed deep regret over what it described as Ko’s controversial attempt to join Sechs Kies activities and take part in the team’s reunion, and that it strongly opposed the move.
The statement went further than a simple objection to the comeback itself. The union demanded that Ko stop trying to rejoin the group and engage in related activities, and that commercial and personal activities using the Sechs Kies trademark and team name be stopped. The fans argued that the group’s name has been safeguarded since its 1997 debut through the members’ and fans’ effort and affection, and accused Ko of using the brand’s value and the fandom’s affection for personal gain and commercial promotion after stepping away from group activities to focus on his primary career, according to MK’s English-language report on the statement.
The statement also framed the return as a breach of trust. The union said it could not tolerate what it called an attempt to use the group’s name again when convenient, without showing sincere commitment since declaring that he would prioritize his primary career and stay out of group activities. It warned that a return pushed through despite betraying fans’ trust would only damage the group’s image and divide the fandom.
The backlash arrives just days after the December shows were announced. Concert organizer Mountain Movement Story said on October 30 that Ko would join fellow members Jang Su-won and Lee Jae-jin for “THE TREE in INSPIRE - Sechs Kies’ Untold Story” on December 15 and 16 at Inspire Arena in Incheon, ahead of the group’s 30th debut anniversary in 2027. It would be the first time in about a decade that Ko has taken the official stage with Sechs Kies members, and the first time the three have appeared together at an official event.
The December event is not a full-group reunion. Team leader Eun Ji-won and Kim Jae-deok are not taking part, and former member Kang Sung-hoon is also not listed, leaving a three-member lineup for a dinner-show format that combines music, conversation and a meal. The format itself has already drawn criticism: Sports Chosun reported that ticket packages including resort stays were priced from 454,000 won for a double room to 898,400 won for a suite, prompting complaints that the event capitalized on fans’ nostalgia.
The dispute between Ko and parts of the fandom is not new. In 2018, the same fans’ union issued a statement asking that Ko be removed from Sechs Kies profiles on various portal sites, claiming that his company and business associates had used the group’s brand and fandom to promote their business. At the time, YG Entertainment, then the group’s agency, said the chances of Ko rejoining in the future were slim and that it would accept the fans’ request and ask portal sites to revise his profile. The new statement shows that, eight years later, the same fault line has reopened around his actual return to the stage rather than a profile listing.
Ko’s personal history is part of why the comeback is so closely watched. After Sechs Kies disbanded in 2000, he left the entertainment industry and built a career as a businessman. When the group reunited through MBC’s “Infinite Challenge” in 2016, he made only a brief surprise appearance at a guerrilla concert and did not take part in the group’s official reunion activities, which continued as a five-member lineup. He later appeared on television with his son on KBS2’s “The Return of Superman.”
More recently, Ko disclosed that he and family medicine specialist Heo Yang-im had divorced by mutual agreement in April 2024, a fact he revealed publicly last July. The two have since been in a legal dispute over child support and visitation rights, with Heo’s side seeking about 40 million won in unpaid child support, according to the Korea Herald Business report on the reunion. Ko has said that health problems following the divorce, including liver cirrhosis and shock that required hospitalization, made it unavoidable to fall behind on payments. TenAsia’s report on the fan statement also noted that Ko is currently in a legal dispute with his ex-wife over child-rearing costs.
For now, the December shows remain scheduled as announced, with no change reported by the organizer. Whether the statement changes anything is unclear, but it has already turned a nostalgic anniversary warm-up into the most contested Sechs Kies story in years.
