Amid renewed debate over the long-standing T-ara bullying controversy, a former employee of Core Contents Media has come forward, claiming Hwayoung’s account of events aligns with the truth.
On November 10th, a user claiming to be a former Core Contents Media employee, known as A, posted on an online forum, starting with, “I’ll briefly share the truth about the T-ara incident.” They explained, “Hwayoung’s family had ties with a company executive. Her older sister initially planned to join T-ara, but handed the spot over to Hwayoung. Given that Hwayoung joined one of the top groups not for her skills or appearance, it was only natural that the existing members felt resentment. Even to the staff, it was clear that Hwayoung struggled to fit in.”
A also claimed that Ahreum, another latecomer to the group, faced similar difficulties due to “the strong personalities of the original members.” They further alleged, “The incidents of verbal and physical abuse are true. I once saw Hwayoung crying and asked her why, and she told me that a member had hit her. Even though it was hard to believe at first, other staff members were aware that some members turned a blind eye to Hwayoung being bullied.”
A concluded their post by stating, “The T-ara bullying is real,” and even posted an old Core Contents Media business card as proof of their employment.
These statements came just a day after Kim Kwang Soo, CEO of MBK Entertainment (formerly Core Contents Media), appeared on MBN’s show Let’s go and claimed the bullying rumors stemmed from the dismissal of Hwayoung and her sister, Hyoyeong, after internal conflicts within T-ara.
Kim added, “Some of the parents of other members wanted to reveal the truth, but I thought, ‘What would happen to those girls’ lives if we did?’ so we refrained.” He added, “I told the girls, ‘If you stop now, you’ll never recover. I’ll take full responsibility, but you guys have to go on.’ That was our biggest crisis.” Kim grew emotional, saying, “Sometimes they come to visit me on my birthday, and we all end up in tears.”
The bullying rumor emerged from that incident.” He further claimed that the parents of the remaining members wanted to clear up the rumors, saying, “But I thought, ‘How would that affect those girls’ lives?’ so we left it alone.”
The following day, Hwayoung took to her Instagram, disputing Kim’s remarks: “I don’t understand why he would revisit the incident from 12 years ago with such biased and distorted statements. I feel compelled to set the record straight.” She insisted that the bullying was real, adding, “The original T-ara members frequently subjected me to verbal abuse and physical intimidation, and I only stuck around because I thought things would improve if I tried harder.”
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