T-ARA’s Former Trainers Speak Up About The Truth Behind Bullying Scandal

They spoke up for Hwayoung.

T-ARA‘s former trainer has spoken up about the past bullying scandal that the group went through. The issue was rehashed belatedly in 2024, almost 12 years after the initial scandal. The issue blew up after MBK Entertainment‘s CEO suddenly gave an interview on the matter.

Former T-ARA’s Hwayoung Blasts Former CEO After His Comments On The Infamous Bullying Scandal

Hwayoung herself spoke up in anger about it, reiterating that although she did handle the situation immaturely, it was true that she had been bullied. A trainer who had been with the girls from 2010 to 2013 spoke up on the issue at hand. Lee Joo Hyo spoke to YTN Star on the matter.

I have seen the contents of T-ARA’s group chat before. Right before their Japan concert, Hwayoung hurt her leg and she could not walk properly. It was totally swollen. Because of that, Hwayoung apologized in the group chat for being unable to perform with everyone. Normally, people would respond with “get well soon,” “don’t worry about it,” things like that. But all the members sent “LOL.” That was really shocking for me. Just as many would already know, the members all posted things like “difference in willpower,” “applauding a genius,” stuff like that on Twitter, attacking Hwayoung. Bullying doesn’t need to be physical, right? Hwayoung had many worries due to the bullying, and she also even said she wanted to leave the group. After Hwayoung made her debut, she would still call them “the T-ARA girls.” She didn’t feel like she belonged to the group. I think the existing members couldn’t stand having new members join. It’s not something I can’t understand. They could feel like a new member is simply piggybacking on them. Although I’m not trying to absolve them, everyone was very young. Idols all experience fights and being split into sides. Because no one wanted to share a room with Hwayoung, she lived out of the living room. The company knew about this too. They should’ve mediated.

— Lee Joo Hyo

Another trainee who was with the company from 2010 to 2011, Ta Rae, also commented that although they did not personally witness it, they felt that something was off.

Although I did not personally witness bullying, Hwayoung seemed to be having a hard time, and the members seemed like they were trying to hush something up. I thought that something was off. It was not like that when she first debuted, but as she went on, Hwayoung looked worse and worse. Idols always have such fights amongst themselves or they try to one up each other, so I thought that T-ARA’s situation was similar. I didn’t know how serious it was. One day, Hwayoung came in with her cheek red. I asked what happened, and she just froze up. It was definitely done by a slap on the cheek. I guessed that she was hit, and only then she confessed that she had been hit by [redacted.] This was one of the matters that revealed to me that she was being bullied by the others.

— Ta Rae

The trainer furthered that the company had not been on Hwayoung’s side. They had chosen T-ARA’s side as the situation would de-escalate if Hwayoung was the only one that was blamed. They commented that after the bullying matter grew bigger in the public’s eye, news about Hwayoung mistreating stylists and more suddenly began to go around, raising their suspicion.

YTN News sought a response from Kim Kwang Soo, the CEO who had been in charge of T-ARA, but failed to receive a response.