The K-pop industry is making headlines with the debut of Clear:I (클리어리), a new girl group set to make their mark with their debut album, “Quest”. While anticipation is high for their arrival, the group’s members, Hayoon (하윤) and Sang (상) are facing intense scrutiny due to their controversial past with their former group, ILUV (아이러브).
Hayoon and Sang, formerly known as Jiho (지호) and Cui Xiang (최상) respectively, were part of ILUV when disturbing allegations surfaced. It was claimed that their treatment of former member Shim Minah (신민아) was so severe that it led her to attempt to take her own life. Minah’s courageous survival and subsequent legal victory against her company have kept the incident in the public eye.
The company behind ILUV, which later rebranded as Botopass (보토패스), faced significant backlash as Minah publicly accused the group members of bullying. Her victory in the lawsuit, where she successfully defended herself against accusations of slander from her former company, further highlighted the gravity of the situation.
Netizens are slamming the company for allowing the members to re-debut and questioning South Korea’s tolerance of such issues. The public’s reaction shows just how much people are debating how to handle and make amends for past mistakes in the industry.
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Source: Twitter
Melissa Royan contributed to this article.
