Korean American singer and producer Chancellor (age 39), born Michael Kim and known in Korea as Kim Jung Seung, has been arrested in Japan on charges of drug possession. The shocking news comes just four months after he announced the birth of his daughter in October last year.
According to major Japanese outlets, including Tokyo Broadcasting System Television and Asahi Shimbun, on February 24, Chancellor was taken into custody at approximately 12:20 AM the previous day at a hotel in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, on suspicion of possessing cocaine.
Also present at the scene were Simon (age 39), CEO of XGLAX and producer of XG, along with two employees from Japanese entertainment giant Avex Group. All were arrested on similar charges.
Authorities reportedly seized four packets of cocaine and one packet of a substance believed to be dried marijuana from the hotel room. Police are currently investigating how the drugs were obtained, whether they were used, and whether there was any conspiracy involved.
The arrests are said to have followed an internal investigation that lasted about a year. The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department reportedly began looking into the case in March of last year after receiving an anonymous tip alleging that Simon and others were using cocaine and marijuana.
Simon and Chancellor had attended a concert in Nagoya on February 22 as part of girl group XG’s world tour and were staying at the hotel when the search was conducted. News of the arrests broke shortly after the performance, sending shockwaves through local fans. It has not yet been confirmed whether the suspects have admitted to the allegations.
In response, XGLAX stated, “As this matter occurred in Japan, we are currently verifying the details. We will issue an official statement once the facts have been confirmed.”
A graduate of Berklee College of Music, Chancellor was active as part of the production team One Way and the duo Duble Sidekick, producing albums for artists including Kang Daniel and Yuju. In 2021, he received critical acclaim from Billboard critics and became the first Korean singer selected as a vocalist for the Grammy “ReImagined” series.
Chancellor married a flight attendant three years his junior in 2022 and announced the birth of his daughter in October last year. He recently shared photos of his child on social media, writing, “Who’s ready to hang out with me at the XG concert?”
Founded by Simon, XGLAX is a subsidiary of Avex Group and is home to the seven-member girl group XG, as well as Chancellor and Hikaru. Since debuting in 2022, XG has drawn global attention, becoming the first Japanese artist to top a U.S. Billboard chart category.
With XG currently in the midst of its second world tour, attention is now focused on how the incident may affect the group’s future activities.
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