We at Nolae are joining the Loona boycott.

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Yesterday the pre-order phase of the new Loona album started, but the news was not received with joy as usual. The fans of the girl group have announced that they will boycott the album and we don't offer it in our store either.

If you missed out on the whole commotion and are wondering what's going on, you've come to the right place. We've summarized the events of the last few weeks for you!

On November 25, Chuu was removed from Loona.

Blockberry Creative, Loona's agency, released a statement explaining that Chuu was kicked out because she "abused power" and treated employees poorly. Among other things, she allegedly called employees names.

Fans reacted critically to the statement. Chuu had repeatedly been absent from girl group activities over the year. Among other things, she did not participate in Loona's first world tour LOONATHEWORLD, which started in August. But she had also been absent from concerts at the beginning of the year. Fans suspected that there were disagreements between Chuu and the agency, so she had to sit out more often.

In June, rumors also surfaced that Chuu was discussing a contract with another agency.

Employees of Chuu defended the idol!

Not long after Blockberry Creative released the statement, several people who worked with Chuu came to her defense. They shared how warm Chuu is and that she cares more about the well-being of her employees than herself.

Meanwhile, the list of staff who have spoken out in Chuu's favor is long: it includes choreographers, producers, journalists, writers, photographers, and countless team members of programs Chuu has filmed.

Even Hyunjin from Loona has spoken out. On a platform where idols can talk to fans, she said that her heart hurts and she is very upset.

It is obvious that there is something wrong with Blockberry Creative's statement. Even before that, the agency was criticized for not treating Loona well. For example, during the European leg of the LOONATHEWORLD tour in September, several different members of the girl group missed all or part of the tour due to health reasons. Fans worried that the members were overworked and not getting enough breaks.

On Nov. 28, Blockberry Creative released another statement.

In the statement, the agency asked media and fans not to spread rumors so that Loona's members would not be harmed and could return to their activities.

Blockberry Creative also said that Chuu had the right to present evidence of her innocence. The agency believes that it has already investigated the facts enough and if anyone still wanted to clarify misunderstandings, they should publicly reveal the truth.

Blockberry Creative would cooperate if someone wanted to release content related to the incident to the public.

9 members of Loona filed a request to suspend their contracts.

On Nov. 28, broadcaster JTBC reported that nine of Loona's now 11 members have filed a request for a temporary injunction to pause their exclusive contracts with Blockberry Creative. The members are Heejin, Haseul, Yeojin, Jinsoul, Choerry, Gowon, Yves, Kim Lip and Olivia Hye.

Blockberry Creative has denied the news but has not released an official statement.

Although there is no confirmation yet, fans support the decision and hope that eventually the whole group will leave Blockberry Creative.

On November 29, Chuu spoke out publicly for the first time.

On Instagram, the singer explained that she has yet to understand the situation herself. She assures that she has done nothing for which her fans should be ashamed. She also thanks fans for caring and comforting her.

On December 5, the Loona Union posted a public letter to Blockberry Creative demanding an official statement about the situation, otherwise they would boycott the agency. There was no response from the agency.

The Loona Union is an association of Loona fans in and outside of South Korea.

On December 11, Blockberry Creative announced on Twitter a new album by Loona!

It's called The Original Album '0' and is scheduled for release on January 4. Of course, there are only 11 members on it. Chuu is missing.

As soon as the announcement and the first teasers were released, fans announced that they would boycott the album. Since Loona Union, for example, had announced before that they would start a boycott, it's not a big surprise.

The main reason is the current situation and Chuu's unfair removal from the group, but that's not all. In September, Yeojin had told her fans that she has yet to receive any payment from Blockberry Creative since Loona's debut in 2018. Chuu also previously stated on a program called "Dr.Oh's Golden Clinic" that she had no income in 2021.

Fans are understandably pissed and don't want to buy the new album, as Loona's members probably won't see any of the income again.

The Loona Union announced that the boycott would not end until the allegations against Chuu are withdrawn and Chuu receives an apology. In addition, Loona members are to be given the opportunity to terminate their contract if they wish.

The boycott does not only include not buying the album. In addition, all participating fans will not stream the songs on Spotify, will not watch the music video, and will also ignore other content as much as possible.

Loona fans everywhere are calling each other to boycott the album and Nolae is also joining in. We don't want to continue supporting Blockberry Creative and hope that Loona's situation will improve. That's why we don't offer Loona's new album in our store.