The agency also “sternly reprimanded” fellow NEWS member Shigeaki Kato, who was also at the party when Koyama was drinking with the girl.
The Johnny & Associates agency announced on Thursday that it has told Keiichiro Koyama from the four-member NEWS idol group to take a hiatus from all his professional activities, after the agency learned that he drank alcohol with an underage girl, and also “pressured others at the party to drink by cheering them on.”
The NEWS group formed in 2003 with nine members, but took a hiatus in 2006 when two of its own members were accused of underage drinking in 2005 and 2006.
Johnny & Associates said that it will have Koyama go on hiatus so he can “deeply reflect” on his actions.