DSP Media Releases Statement Denying Former APRIL Member Hyunjoo Left The Group Due To Being Bullied By The Group
Original Article:
DSP Media has denied accusations that former APRIL member Hyunjoo left because she was bullied by her groupmates.
On February 28, an online post was written by someone claiming to be Hyunjoo’s brother.
The full post reads as follows:
Hello, I’m the younger brother of former APRIL member Hyunjoo.
I’ve wanted to reveal the truth for years, but I’ve been holding back for my sister’s future.
But now I think I have to be brave and speak up, which is why I’m writing this.
It was said that Hyunjoo left the group because she wanted to act, but that’s not true.
She was bullied and ostracized in the group, and due to that, she suffered from many things like panic disorder and breathing difficulties.
She even tried to take her own life.
When my parents and I think about that time, we still feel like our hearts are tearing apart.
Hyunjoo was departing from the team, so the agency sent a letter about how she’s leaving because she wants to focus on acting and told her to write it in her own handwriting.
So she wrote the letter without even us knowing.
Everyone thought that was the best for her.
However, after writing the letter, Hyunjoo became a person who betrayed the team for her own benefit and received malicious comments that were so hard to hear.
After that, there was no apology from the members, and even when they saw my mom who went to the company, they just laughed at her.
My sister is still working hard in her career.
So I’ve been holding it in case it hurts her image, but I can’t stand to watch the members who are living well as if they didn’t do anything wrong.
Even I’m having a hard time, but I’m so upset and angry when I think about how my sister would feel.
I don’t want to see the members being active anymore.
I hope they stop appearing on TV and reminding my family of that time, and I don’t want to see Hyunjoo having a hard time anymore.
Another individual claiming to be Hyunjoo’s high school classmate (hereby called “A”) made similar allegations.
On March 1, “A” made a post titled “All the members of APRIL are perpetrators.”
“A” claimed, “I wanted to clarify the misunderstanding that only some of the APRIL members bullied Hyunjoo. At that time, all the members, except Chaekyung and Rachel (who joined after Hyunjoo’s departure), bullied her.”
“A” continued, “Somin, a former member of April, was the first one to hate Hyunjoo. Chaewon wanted to get closer to Somin, so she drove a wedge between Hyunjoo and her. Naeun stole Hyunjoo’s sneakers and insisted that she bought them. Before the camera went on, the members saw Hyunjoo in the center and said, ‘That XXX is trying to make her face smaller again.'”
The individual added, “Yena and Jinsol kept being sarcastic to her, teasing her, tripping her, and stepping on her feet. Chaewon was dating the manager at the time, so the manager knew about the bullying but condoned it. After Hyunjoo tried to take her life, she and her mother went to the company because they said the members were reflecting on their behavior, but they laughed and ignored her. There are many other things, but I only wrote down what I remember exactly.”
“A” shared, “At that time, Hyunjoo was so severely depressed that most people around her knew about it. The perpetrators had no intention of apologizing or didn’t show any signs of remorse, and she eventually left the team, but the agency forced her to write a false letter saying she was leaving to focus on acting and were criticized by many people for that. If she left just to become an actor, she wouldn’t have even appeared in ‘The Unit.'”
The individual continued, “In a way, it’s been a long time, but her wound probably hasn’t healed. So I hope more and more people will pay attention to this. We are waiting for the perpetrators to reflect and make a sincere apology, and I hope Hyunjoo will overcome the trauma and continue to actively engage in various activities.”
In response to the allegations, DSP Media released an official statement that reads as follows:
Hello, this is DSP Media.
This is our position regarding the recent controversy about Hyunjoo and the APRIL members.
We would like to give you a detailed explanation about how she was chosen to be in APRIL and withdrew from the group. Hyunjoo joined our company as an actress and a trainee. However, at the time of APRIL’s formation, Hyunjoo wanted to be an actress, but after we persuaded her, she and her family agreed she would be part of the group.
Ever since her debut was confirmed, Hyunjoo hasn’t been able to faithfully participate in the team activities because she has been struggling with physical and mental problems. At that time, not only Hyunjoo but also the other members suffered damage due to the conflicts caused by this. Everyone was going through rough times, and based on the circumstances at the time, it was clear that no one could be considered a perpetrator or victim.
Hyunjoo ultimately expressed that she wanted to leave the group during the “Tinkerbell” promotions. We tried to dissuade her, but she was adamant. We feel responsible for the hard time that Hyunjoo and the other members suffered during this period.
Since then, we have provided full support for the acting activities that Hyunjoo wanted. We also supported her wish to be an idol after that. It is true that we provided all possible support for her activities in the field she wanted after she left the group.
Unconfirmed facts and speculations can cause more damage to both Hyunjoo and APRIL. We sincerely ask you to refrain from spreading rumors.
We apologize for the delayed official statement. Thank you.
Hyunjoo left APRIL in October 2016 and promoted as a member of the girl group Uni.T through the survival show “The Unit.” Uni.T disbanded in October 2018.
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