XG Producer Simon Arrested in Japan for Drug Possession

On the early morning of the 23rd at a hotel in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, Simon Jacobs, 39, the producer for XG, was arrested on the spot for allegedly possessing cocaine. After previously working as a member of the Korean idol group Dalmasian, he switched to a production career and founded XGALX in 2018 to manage the popular Japanese girl group XG.

Simon was arrested along with three others, including Chansler, the music producer for XGALX, for possessing cocaine in a hotel room in Aichi Prefecture. A parcel containing cocaine and what is believed to be dried marijuana was found in the hotel room, and it is reported that four people in total—two employees from Avex Entertainment and one other official—were also arrested for the same offense.

Born in 1986 in Seattle, USA, Simon grew up in Korea. He has a Korean father and a Japanese mother and is known locally in Japan by his real name, Junho Sakai. He made his debut in South Korea’s entertainment industry in 2009 by contributing to an MC Mong song and became a member of Dalmasian starting in 2012. After transitioning to production, he began working as a music producer in 2014 and founded XGALX in 2018.

XGALX is a subsidiary of OneHundredLabel, which was established by MC Mong and Chagawon. It manages the global group XG, singer-songwriter Chansler, and artist Hikaru, among others. XG is a Japanese girl group built on the K-pop system that has gained attention in global markets and is currently on a world tour. At a concert held in Yokohama from the 6th to the 8th before the incident, over 60,000 fans attended over the three days.

Local police are investigating how and why Simon and his colleagues obtained the drugs. XGALX stated, “Since this happened locally, we are verifying the facts.”