Long-awaited Nhk Kouhaku Appearance, Album on the Rise in the midst of Fierce Bullying Allegations Against a Very Popular Korean Girl Group

There is a news item that has become a hot topic in the Korean entertainment industry.

It is about the popular girl group “LE SSERAFIM (Seraphim).” The entertainment-oriented TV channel tvN reported on the recent situation of a former member who left the group due to allegations of bullying.

Before giving the details, I would like to look back on the popularity of “Seraphim.”

They debuted in May of last year as a younger sister group of “BTS,” which has since suspended its activities. Their popularity is explosive. Their debut album “FEARLESS” sold 310,000 copies in its first week of release, the highest ever for a girl group, and the number of views on МV has exceeded 64 million.

Their popularity in Japan is also increasing rapidly. One of the members is former “IZ*ONE” member Miyawaki Sakira, and the group has an official website in Japanese. At the end of last year, they made their long-awaited appearance in the NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen.

Answer my call, or I’ll kill you!

“Seraphim” made a spectacular debut in May, just after their debut, when a scandal broke out. One of the members, Kim Garam, was forced to stop their activities.

There were rumors on the Internet that Garam had been bullying the other members before their debut. In April, just before her debut, a person named A, who attended the same junior high school as Garam, posted that she had been threatened and was under mental stress, and that he had transferred schools because of the bullying. She also uploaded a captured image from a messenger application, allegedly written by Garam, which read, “Answer my phone or I’ll kill you.”

(A reporter in charge of the sports paper) “The agency denied A’s post, claiming that the trouble between friends had been distorted and that Garam was rather a victim. However, when “Seraphim” made its debut, the uproar grew.

“A” uploaded a document that she claimed was evidence. The document was titled “School Violence Prevention Autonomy Committee Result Report,” and it stated, “The assailant is Kim Garam, a student in the third class of the first year. When interviewed by the press, the school replied, ‘We cannot answer (the authenticity of the document).’ Since the school did not clearly deny it, speculation grew that the document might be genuine.”

Once the document was uploaded, the office again issued a statement. While acknowledging that Garam had been punished by the school, it denied bullying. They claimed that the trouble started when A was harassing Garam’s best friend B.

Garam, who had suffered psychological damage as a result of the series of disturbances, suspended her activities. In addition, her agency terminated her contract in July. “Seraphim” had one less member and is now a five-member group.

What is Garam doing now? According to “tvN,” mentioned at the beginning of this article, she is attending the theater and film department of Seoul Performing Arts High School.

“The program introduces Garam as having returned to being a regular student. However, the fact that she is attending the theater and film department of an arts school probably means that she has not completely retired from the entertainment industry. It is speculated that she will hone her skills as an actor or singer and take the stage again.”

Former idol group members attract attention even after leaving the group. We may see a brilliant comeback.