Most recently, CEO Kim Kwang Soo revealed the truth about the internal bullying of T-ara after 12 years. The CEO said he sided with the T-ara members, canceled Hwayoung's contract but kept silent because he was worried about her future.
On November 10, Hwayoung posted a long article to respond to CEO Kim Kwang Soo's words. Hwayoung said that she was abused, bullied and cursed by T-ara and did not pretend to be a victim. The female rapper has been silent for the past 12 years, she was upset because Kim Kwang Soo brought up the story and turned her into a villain.
Hwayoung's original post:
Hello, I am a former member of T-ara.
First of all, I would like to sincerely apologize for talking about an unpleasant topic. After watching yesterday's program where CEO Kim Kwang Soo talked about the internal bullying scandal within T-ara, I thought deeply hundreds and thousands of times before deciding to post this post.
In 2012, as the central figure in the incident called "T-ara's internal bullying", I caused many controversies and witnessed the disbandment of my favorite group, T-ara. Regardless of who was right or wrong, I lived and blamed myself a lot. I always felt guilty towards the fans who loved T-ara and the members I parted with with words like "bullying" and "conflict".
For 12 years, I carried the label of "T-ara's bully", chose not to respond to the rumors, and lived with the consequences. Although the breakup was a storm, T-ara's existence allowed me to become the person I am today. Although I was traumatized and felt it was unfair, I chose to remain silent.
However, when I heard CEO Kim Kwang Soo speak, I did not understand why he brought up the incident 12 years ago with bias and distorted facts. This motivated me to speak up to clarify the wrongs, even though it was very difficult.
First, it was right that I was bullied. It was wrong that I "played the victim". As a new member of T-ara, I tried my best, determined not to bother the original members, and tried to fit in. However, the original members often used violence and constantly insulted me. I endured it because I believed that everything would be okay if I tried harder.
Second, after I injured my ankle, I apologized to the members many times. Even when I couldn't perform on stage in Japan, I asked the director to let me sing a song. I did so because I felt sorry for the members who worked harder, and I thought singing a song would help them.
Third, it's true that I got my nails done at the hotel. But the T-ara members also called manicurists to the hotel in Japan. Describing me as getting my nails done before the show just because of my personal preference is a malicious attack on me.
When my contract with T-ara ended, I had a lot of evidence proving that I was being bullied and planned to hold a press conference. However, CEO Kim Kwang Soo suggested that if I kept quiet and didn't hold a press conference, he would terminate my sister and I's contracts without any conditions. I was 20 years old at the time and thought that was the best option. In the end, I left without receiving an apology and remained silent for 12 years.
After that, T-ara members appeared on many programs, asserting that they did not bully me and said many false things. My parents and I felt helpless when watching those programs, we cried because we could not do anything.
I sincerely want to ask CEO Kim Kwang Soo: "What do you mean by bringing up the story from 12 years ago, and mentioning my name with such distorted comments?".
Currently, I do not have a representative company and act on my own. I clearly understand that I cannot compete with the person who has had power in the entertainment industry for the past 40 years. Even so, I still speak up for the truth.
Considered one of the miracles of Korean music in the 2010s, T-ara is like a "short-lived" flower, when at the peak of glory, they suddenly fell into a bottomless pit due to a shocking scandal. Debuting in 2009, the 6 members of T-ara "made waves" with a series of hits Lies, Time To Love, Bo Peep Bo Peep, Roly Poly, Lovely Dovey...
Hwayoung was added to the group in December 2010 and the storm broke out from there. When Hwayoung was absent from the 2012 concert, the T-ara members made insinuations on social media. Netizens began to find a series of evidences of T-ara members bullying Hwayoung. A wave of protests against T-ara broke out across Asian websites.
Under pressure from public opinion, the management company announced that Hwayoung had left the group after receiving complaints from the 19 staff members. CEO Kim Kwang Soo also directly confirmed that bullying was not the reason for Hwayoung's departure from the group, and that T-ara's tweets on social media were not directly aimed at anyone. However, the public did not believe this and continuously "stoned" and boycotted T-ara. The 6 members silently endured and continued to promote.
In 2017, Hwayoung suddenly brought up the old story on a TV show. Because she was so upset when she saw the perpetrator playing the victim, a former employee stood up to clarify the whole truth. Accordingly, Hwayoung was lazy and bullied the members in return. In the end, T-ara was cleared of all charges and was loved by the audience back home. When they won the trophy on a music show after 5 years of being ostracized, the whole group burst into tears.
