Former Idol Revealed To Have Left Group After Being Assaulted By Another Member, Falls Into Debt

Cases like his are not uncommon.

A former idol opened up about his painful past — anonymously, of course. He appeared on Ask Us Anything, a show where guests pour out their concerns. He admitted to being assaulted by a group member during his idol days, later living in isolation and eventually losing ₩180 million KRW (about $126,000 USD) through reckless investments.

Although the idol member didn’t show his face, he revealed himself to be a sub-vocal in the K-Pop group MASC. The group debuted with 8 members in 2016, ending off with just 3 members by the time they disbanded in 2020.

MASC during debut.

He shared that he left the team after enduring verbal and physical abuse from another member.

“When I tried to speak up out of frustration, he slammed an umbrella against the wall and hit me on the head and face. After that, I shut myself in his room for one to two years. Later, during the boom in electric vehicle-related stocks, I invested the last of my money, a remaining ₩5.00 million KRW (about $3,500 USD) and initially doubled it. Encouraged by the success and at my parents’ suggestion, I even took out loans to invest more, but ended up losing everything.”

He later attempted futures trading in cryptocurrency, which only worsened his losses, leading to a total debt of ₩180 million KRW (about $126,000 USD). Currently, he earns a living through YouTube livestreaming.

“I pay ₩4.65 million KRW (about $3,250 USD) a month toward my debt, but I can still spend about ₩500,000 KRW (about $350 USD) on myself thanks to the donations from my few loyal viewers.”

He also admitted he still misses performing on stage, expressing his lingering passion for music. According to the broadcast, he is 27-years-old currently. The hosts advised him to cut down on broadcasting and get a part-time job instead to pay off his debt. They also encouraged him to work on his skills if he still wanted to make it.