The Bullying Controversy Involving Ryu Hyo-young and T-ara
On November 11, Ryu Hyo-young publicly addressed the longstanding bullying controversy that affected her family and her past messages concerning the situation. In her statement, she explained, “The reason I’m posting this is to clarify the bullying incident involving my younger sister, Hwayoung, and the troubling text messages I’ve sent.”
She recounted her sister’s feelings of isolation among the T-ara members, mentioning statements like, “It’s too hard” and “I miss you, sister.”Hyo-young expressed that her messages were a desperate attempt to protect her sibling from ongoing harassment.
Ryu Hyo-young candidly admitted her regret over the messages, stating, “I know it was foolish to send those messages, and I still regret it to this day. I had previously apologized to Areum for the texts and still feel sorry.”
Further reflecting on her emotions at the time, she noted, “I was only 20 years old, and I felt powerless. I feared for my sister’s well-being and wanted to intervene in what I perceived as a dire situation. I hope everyone understands that my actions were an immature attempt to protect my family.”
Reviving Past Controversies: CEO Kim Kwang-soo’s Statements
The issue resurfaced dramatically on November 9 when T-ara’s former CEO, Kim Kwang-soo, commented on the group’s past conflicts during an appearance on MBN’s “Let’s Go Go Season 3”.
He acknowledged the turmoil among the group, revealing that he had asked both Hwayoung and Hyoyoung to terminate their contracts, allowing them to leave the group without conditions, while asserting that the remaining T-ara members bore no blame for the situation.
In response to the CEO’s comments, Hwayoung expressed her confusion, stating, “I don’t understand why they’re making biased and distorted comments about an incident from 12 years ago.
“She reaffirmed that the bullying she experienced was real, describing instances of verbal and physical abuse, reigniting public scrutiny on the events that transpired within the group.
Revelations of Threatening Messages
The controversy heightened with the resurfacing of allegations regarding Ryu Hyo-young’s threatening messages sent to Areum, T-ara’s new member. In 2017, after the Ryu sisters discussed their experiences in interviews, a former T-ara staff member, identified only as “A” , exposed these alarming messages. According to “A” , Hyo-young warned Areum with threats such as, “I’m going to beat the dust off you at ‘Music Bank’. Just wait.” and “Dogs only listen when they take a beating.”
Following these revelations, Ryu Hyo-young issued an apology, asserting that her actions were born from a protective instinct for her struggling sister, yet faced significant backlash for her conduct.
Now, nearly seven years after the initial controversies, Ryu Hyo-young has revisited the incident with another apology. Whether this latest apology will alter public sentiment in her favor remains to be seen.
Source: Daum
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