T-ARA’s CEO Breaks His Silence About What Happened During The Group’s Bullying Scandal With Hwayoung

He expressed how sorry he felt.

T-ARA was once plagued by a huge bullying scandal. Through various accusations the group was accused of bullying Hwayoung, a member who had joined much later on in the group’s career. As time went by, it was revealed that T-ARA had actually been the victims and that Hwayoung had victimized herself.

On a recent episode of MBN‘s Let’s Go, T-ARA’s then-CEO Kim Kwang Soo spoke up on the matter. He claimed to have been a firm supporter of T-ARA’s original members. Back then, the public had not yet been made privy to the truth behind the matter, but Kim Kwang Soo stopped the truth from being revealed out of concern for Hwayoung and the other members. He ordered the girls to press on with activities, leading to them being shunned by the public at events.

I had been so dumbfounded by the rumors surrounding T-ARA at that time and I was so angry that I decided on doing an interim announcement. This is the first time that I am speaking up about this, but I told Hwayoung and Hyoyoung yo bring their contracts over and I ripped them up. I told them to get out, and that I would release them from their contracts without any conditions. I told them to go and do their own thing. After that, rumors about them being ostracized began to spread online, claiming that they had no one to depend on but each other. They spread ceaselessly. T-ARA’s parents came to the company. They said they would open a press conference and publish all the KakaoTalk conversations and more. But then, I was worried about the T-ARA members’ lives, so I quelled them. It was the case where the victims became the perpetrators. Although she was in the wrong, I was worried for Hwayoung’s future as she was still young. I thought that T-ARA did nothing wrong, so I pressed on with their broadcast promotions. But the public saw it as me having enough authority in the industry for them to continue their activities. For me, I didn’t think we were in the wrong. I told them that it was okay for me to be cursed out, but if they stop here, they would never be able to make a come back. I would be the one to shoulder everything. They needed to go on.

— Kim Kwang Soo

He continued to share that the T-ARA members still come to him once in a while on his birthday. Although he did not admit regretting his decision back then, he expressed that he felt sorry for the girls.

You can read more about the incident below.

Areum Exposes Truth Behind T-ARA Bullying Scandal, Reveals Staff Hurt Her Much More Than Her Members