On November 12, A posted via his SNS account: “Please stop writing to me about the recent issues regarding the group Areum was a part of. What could I know? Only those directly involved would know.”
He added: “It’s a story from over 10 years ago and Areum herself doesn’t know much about it, so I ask YouTubers and others to stop asking questions. I just wish it could be left to flow on its own. Why dig up old tracks when they no longer matter?“
Areum joined T-ara in 2012 but left after just a year. In 2019, she married an older, non-famous man and they had two children, but in 2023 she announced that she was in the midst of a divorce and was dating A.
She became the center of controversy with allegations of money demanding and cheating with A, and while they reportedly broke up, they recently announced they had reunited and are having a third child.
CEO Kim Kwang-soo appeared on MBN’s “Let’s Go Go” program on November 9 and addressed T-ara’s 2012 bullying incident, saying, “The T-ara members were victims then, but my handling of the situation turned them into executioners. It’s the thing I regret the most in my 40 years in the entertainment industry.“
After the broadcast, Hwayoung quickly responded with a lengthy post, stating, “I was really bullied. As a new member of T-ara, I tried my best to blend in without causing trouble, but the original members often used violence and insults against me.”
It was revealed that Hwayoung’s older sister Hyo-young sent Areum threatening messages at the time, saying, “If you don’t want to get hit, do it right”, “I’ll scratch your face so you can’t appear on broadcasts” AND “They [T-ara] they need to be hit to regain their senses.”
In this regard, Hyo-young explained: “I was shocked by what my sister told me: that she was being bullied by T-ara members, she felt very distressed and said she missed me. I sent those messages hoping to stop them from tormenting her, but I know it was foolish and I still regret it. I previously apologized to Areum for the messages, but I continue to be sorry.”
Source: Nate
