Ko Young-wook denies allegations of harassing Taeyeon

Ko Young-wook, a former member of the 1990s group Roo'ra, has issued a public denial against allegations that he was the senior artist who harassed Girls' Generation member Taeyeon. The controversy arose after netizens identified Ko as the individual Taeyeon previously mentioned in a variety show, where she described a senior artist making rude late-night calls and requests to meet.

Ko stated on social media that he has only met Taeyeon once during a recording for Mnet’s ‘Beat Code’. He claimed that while he was initially impatient due to a filming delay, Taeyeon’s polite greeting as a fan improved his mood, and they only exchanged brief pleasantries. He argued that female juniors often exaggerate stories on variety shows for entertainment value and noted that many have contacted him privately without issue.

In his rebuttal, Ko asserted that he has always been popular with women and claimed to have previously dated a top-tier South Korean actress, questioning why he would need to behave inappropriately toward Taeyeon. Ko, who served a prison sentence between 2010 and 2012 for the sexual assault and molestation of a minor, expressed frustration over being targeted by online speculation based on old television clips.