Source: YTN
PD Ahn Joon-young has returned to his original position at Mnet.
According to an exclusive report by YTN, PD Ahn, who was sentenced to prison for rigging Mnet's "Produce 101" series has rejoined the company. He returned to his original position in music division after concluding his 1.5 year prison sentence in November 2021.
An Mnet official stated on the 3rd, "PD Ahn Joon-young who left last year has rejoined the company. Considering PD Ahn's desperate reflection on his past mistakes and his earnest desire to play a role in restoring personal trust with Mnet, we decided to give him one more chance."
A CJENM official further told Chosun Ilbo on in a phone call, "PD Ahn re-entered the company and returned to work for the first time on the 3rd." When asked "if it was appropriate for a criminal who deceived viewers to return to the company after serving a prison term?" the official stated, "We held a personnel committee after he left the company last year. Disciplinary measures were all completed."
When asked what "disciplinary action" CJENM took, the official replied, "It's difficult to reveal the level of disciplinary action."
Following Mnet's announcement about his return to the company, the reaction of viewers who were deceived by his rigged broadcasts is still cold. At the time, the vote-rigging controversy gave a fatal blow to the reputation of the 'Produce' series and some trainees, who believed in the production team and appeared on the show also suffered damage.
PD Ahn was accused of manipulating results of viewer paid text votes on a total of 4 series on Mnet's 'Produce' and receiving "entertainment gifts" 40 million won from 5 entertainment agency officials over 40 times from 2018-2019. He was later sentenced to 2 years in prison and 37 million won fine. He appealed but was found guilty in first and second trials and Supreme Court confirmed the lower court's sentence.
Meanwhile, CP Kim Yong-beom who found guilty alongside PD Ahn for "rigging" incident was also reinstated after his 1 year and 8 month sentence. CJENM explained, "CP Kim asked for an opportunity to recover the damage he has caused the company and society and we accepted it."
Currently, CP Kim is known to be in charge of CJENM's "global projects."
- [+145, -12] The only answer is to disband the Democratic Party and clean up the country in the upcoming general election..
- [+78, -0] ?? Does that make sense? Recruiting a PD who scammed the entire country.. CJENM's morals are seriously questionable. They made poor trainee victims, the viewers that voted, and honest and competent employees out to be fools!
- [+48, -2] The opposition leader is currently facing over 10 charges on four previous convictions, isn't that the key issue?
- [+28, -1] So shameless of them to bring back rigging criminals with a recordㅋㅋ and to willingly accept them back like that.. ahh~~~do they not a have a conscience?? ㅉㅉ
- [+19, -2] What about the thugs who are loud everywhere after getting rid of pre-votes for the 4.15 general election..? Why so quiet on ba$tards like them🧟♂️👨💻🤫😈?
- [+15, -4] Are there no PDs with talents to hire?
- [+12, -0] Talented or not, the risk for rigging is still high if PDs lack morals. This is going to set precedent now and more of this will happen. The rigging isn't going to go away. Whether the election is rigged now or not, we should be concerned about a trend growing with this. Our country's image is deteriorating day after day.
- [+7, -0] They're basically admitting that they're pros at 'Go-Stop' and conspired together with the company ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
- [+4, -0] So they were accomplices all along ㅋㅋ
- [+2, -0] So the main culprit of the 'rigging' crimes was CJ ENM ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ. This is just the price of their sacrifices for the companyㅋㅋ. If this happens again, CJENM CEO needs to be arrested and thrown in prison!!
Additional source: Chosun Ilbo