SECHSKIES members clash over canceled event and ticket refund allegations

A special SECHSKIES performance scheduled for December 15 and 16 at the INSPIRE Arena has been canceled following a dispute between member Lee Jai-jin and organizer Mountain Movement Story. While Lee Jai-jin raised concerns regarding unfulfilled fan refunds, the agency refuted these claims, stating that only two fans made payments and no refund requests have been received.

Following Ko Ji-yong's recent disclosure regarding his divorce, the SECHSKIES singer has become embroiled in a new controversy. A performance intended to feature SECHSKIES members has been canceled, leading the event organizer and Ko Ji-yong's agency, Mountain Movement Story, to issue an official statement refuting allegations regarding financial matters. The dispute centers on member Lee Jai-jin, who declared his refusal to participate after raising concerns about fan ticket payments and unfulfilled refunds; however, the organizer has directly countered these claims, asserting that only two people actually made payments and that no refund requests have been received.

On the 10th, Mountain Movement Story released an official statement refuting Lee Jai-jin's previous announcements. The organizer explained that while Lee Jai-jin expressed his intention not to participate on November 5, he subsequently indicated a desire to join and requested promotional poster materials. Consequently, the organizer and other members understood that Lee Jai-jin's intent to perform had been reaffirmed, and they continued event preparations with that understanding.

The agency further stated that Lee Jai-jin's subsequent notice of non-participation was delivered on November 7, 2026. The organizer emphasized, "The interpretation that Ko Ji-yong interviewed as if the three were appearing together, despite knowing that Lee Jai-jin's final decision not to participate was confirmed, is untrue." Confusion in the communication of intent during the negotiation process has emerged as a central pillar of the controversy.

Regarding the alleged financial damage to fans and refund issues, the organizer refuted the claims with specific figures. "As this matter directly concerns the finances of our fans, our company will not make this a subject of speculation or emotional confrontation," Mountain Movement Story stated. "According to our verification, only two fans of Lee Jai-jin proceeded with ticket payments, and there has not been a single request for a refund."

The agency explained that it is verifying the facts based on bank account and card transaction records, as well as actual refund requests and processing history. They added a policy to handle matters directly with the actual payers. The organizer requested that the situation not be exaggerated based solely on third-party reports and asked for judgment to be based on actual transaction data, promising to transparently disclose verified information and processing results.

Previously, Lee Jai-jin disclosed the issues surrounding his participation in the event via his official social media account. He claimed that while negotiations began after the organizer proposed a plan, he discovered problems with the reservation and payment methods. Specifically, he pointed out that he was not informed in advance that payments were to be made via personal bank accounts rather than through official reservation channels.

Lee Jai-jin stated that through reports from fans, he learned that the representative of Mountain Movement Story had been contacting fans individually to receive deposits into a personal account, and he claimed to have confirmed multiple times that fans requesting refunds had not yet received their money. He explained that he demanded the organizer promptly process unfulfilled refunds and conduct transparent ticket sales through official channels out of concern for fan damage, but ultimately withdrew his participation because these issues were not resolved.

He also clarified his position regarding the existence of a contract. Lee Jai-jin asserted that the discussions regarding his appearance did not lead to a final contract and that he had not signed any agreement. Nevertheless, he expressed regret that his name and photograph continue to be used for event promotion and that some media reports have conveyed that he personally planned or promoted the event. He maintained that it is untrue to promote the event as confirmed when he had already communicated his refusal to participate several times.

Jang Su-won's side also drew a line from the controversy by announcing his non-participation. The official J-Walk fan cafe announced on the 10th that the two-day event at INSPIRE, which was scheduled to include Lee Jai-jin, Ko Ji-yong, and Jang Su-won, has been canceled. Furthermore, fans who reserved through the organizer or paid participation fees via cash transactions to individuals were urged to individually request refunds and verify the procedures. The notice added a warning to ensure that refund status and scheduled dates are checked to prevent financial loss during the process.

The event was a special project planned by Mountain Movement Story ahead of SECHSKIES' 30th anniversary. The plan was to hold 'THE TREE in INSPIRE - SECHSKIES' Untold Story' on December 15 and 16 at the INSPIRE Arena in Yeongjongdo, Incheon, featuring Ko Ji-yong, Jang Su-won, and Lee Jai-jin. While the event drew interest as a venue to revisit the group's past activities and the members' stories, it ultimately resulted in cancellation due to the conflict over appearance negotiations and ticket payments. Kang Sung Hun, Eun Ji-won, and Kim Jae-duck were also not scheduled to participate.

This controversy comes at a personally burdensome time for Ko Ji-yong. He married Heo Yang-im in 2013 but underwent a separation two years ago, experiencing conflicts regarding child support and visitation rights. His divorce was only publicly disclosed later this year. On September 16, his agency announced that Ko Ji-yong had completed an application for a provisional injunction to prohibit the interference of visitation and the posting of child photos and videos. Following the disclosure of legal actions regarding family matters, interest in his current status has increased as the performance controversy overlaps.

After the disbandment of SECHSKIES in 2000, Ko Ji-yong left the entertainment industry to focus on business, making only a single surprise appearance during the group's reunion on MBC's 'Infinite Challenge' in 2016, rather than joining full-scale activities. Since then, SECHSKIES has operated as a four-member group following the departure of Kang Sung Hun in 2019. As this project had garnered anticipation as a special event with the members after a long time, the cancellation due to financial controversy and appearance disputes has increased the disappointment and concern of fans.

Currently, the organizer and Lee Jai-jin's side are presenting differing claims regarding the communication of intent to participate and the payment and refund issues. The actual transaction data and whether refund requests were made are expected to be the core issues of the controversy moving forward. Attention is focused on whether measures can be taken to minimize financial damage to fans and whether the facts regarding the appearance negotiations and promotion process can be clearly verified.

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