Park Kyung ends hiatus after 4 years, addresses past bullying and chart manipulation controversies

Block B’s Park Kyung is making a comeback after a four-year hiatus.

On July 9, Park Kyung announced on his social media account, “7/12 6PM ‘Allarilalilala’ (feat. Yuri of Cool) DROP!” along with a snippet of the new song, signaling his return to the music scene.

The new track, ‘Allarilalilala,’ features vocals from Yuri of the co-ed group Cool. This release marks his first new music since ‘Refresh’ (feat. Kang Min-kyung of Davichi) in March 2020, a span of four years and four months.

Previously, Park Kyung was embroiled in a school violence (bullying) controversy in September 2020. A netizen who claimed to be a former middle school classmate accused Park Kyung of being a bully, saying, “Park Kyung was a gang leader with a ‘Z’ carved into his head. He and his gang would rob weaker students of their money and belongings behind the school. He was known for his foul language and indulged in alcohol and cigarettes.”

The allegations were particularly shocking as Park Kyung had served as a school violence prevention ambassador in 2015. Park Kyung admitted to the accusations and issued a lengthy apology, stating, “I sincerely apologize to those who were hurt by me and to those who are still affected by memories of my past behavior. I regret my actions deeply and am truly sorry.”

He further explained, “I wanted to be noticed and found the so-called ‘bad kids’ appealing. I joined them in their disgraceful actions, believing that being with them would prevent others from treating me poorly. To those I’ve hurt, please contact me directly or through my company. I wish to meet and personally apologize and seek your forgiveness.”

In October 2020, Park Kyung enlisted in the military but was transferred to public service due to health issues. He completed his service as a social service worker and was discharged in September 2022.

Separately, in 2019, Park Kyung sparked controversy by naming several artists in a post accusing them of chart manipulation, saying he wished to “do sajaegi (refers to the practice of manipulating music chart rankings through illicit means, such as bulk-buying or streaming songs to artificially inflate their popularity.) like Vibe, Song Ha-ye, Im Jae-hyun, Jeon Sang-geun, Jang Deok-cheol, and Hwang In-wook.” This led to legal action, and in 2020, Park Kyung was fined 5 million KRW for defamation under the Information and Communications Network Act.