Former T-ARA member Areum has received a reduced sentence in her fraud case, where she was accused of scamming fans and acquaintances out of approximately 37 million won.
On August 13th, an appeals court in Suwon amended the original sentences for both Areum and her boyfriend. Areum was sentenced to a four-month prison term, suspended for one year, while her boyfriend was sentenced to 1 year and 4 months in prison. This is a reduction from their initial sentences: a six-month suspended sentence for Areum and 1 year and 6 months for her boyfriend.
The court acknowledged Areum’s involvement, stating, “She conspired with her boyfriend, knowing he was defrauding her fans… her responsibility is significant.” However, the judges reduced her sentence, citing her remorse and settlement with some victims, which led them to believe the original sentence was too harsh.
Regarding her boyfriend, the court noted that “the total amount of damages is substantial,” but took into account that he had also settled with some victims and admitted to all charges.
The case began when three victims, including fans, filed police complaints between March and May of last year. They claimed that Areum and her boyfriend borrowed money for various personal reasons but never repaid the debt.
This is the latest in a series of legal troubles for the former idol. Areum joined T-ARA in 2012 but left the group just a year later. In 2019, she married and had two sons but later made headlines for publicly announcing her divorce and plans to remarry her boyfriend.
The fraud case follows a previous conviction for child abuse and defamation related to a bitter custody battle with her ex-husband, for which she received an eight-month suspended prison sentence.
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