Group UNI.T's Hyunju is posing at a press conference held on May 14, 2018, at Blue Square in Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul. [Image source=Yonhap News]
[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Eun-young] Former April group member and actress Lee Hyun-joo has been accused of being bullied within the group during her activities. Subsequently, her classmate made additional revelations, stating "The entire April group were perpetrators," escalating the controversy.
On the 1st, a post titled "All April Members Are Perpetrators" was uploaded on an online community.
A, who introduced themselves as Lee Hyun-joo's high school classmate, began by saying, "Recently, Hyun-joo's younger sibling exposed the bullying within April, leading to many speculations. There is a misunderstanding that only some members bullied her, so I am writing this post."
A stated, "At that time, all members of April ostracized Hyun-joo, and there were no bystanders," adding, "When I was drifting apart from close friends in high school and couldn't fit in alone during field trips, Hyun-joo was the first to talk to me. I felt sorry every time Hyun-joo struggled because of the members."
They continued, "Back then, the company didn't even allow personal phones, so they lived together 24 hours a day in one dormitory. It's hard to imagine how difficult it must have been without anyone to lean on," explaining, "Her depression was so severe that those around Hyun-joo at the time mostly knew about her extreme attempts."
Furthermore, "The perpetrators never showed any sign of apology or remorse until the end, but they eventually left the group. Even then, they had to write a false letter claiming it was for pursuing acting activities and faced criticism from many people," they said.
A concluded, "If she had no intention of idol activities and only left to become an actress, she wouldn't have appeared on 'The Unit.' Although much time has passed, those wounds probably haven't fully healed," adding, "I await the perpetrators' reflection and sincere apology. I support Hyun-joo overcoming her trauma and continuing to bravely engage in various activities."
On the 1st, a post was uploaded on an online community by Mr. A, who claimed to be a classmate of Lee Hyun-joo, further exposing the previously raised bullying allegations within April. / Photo by Online Community Capture
Earlier, on the 28th of last month, Lee Hyun-joo's younger sibling claimed through a community post, "My sister suffered from panic disorder and breathing difficulties due to bullying and ostracism within the group," and "She even attempted an extreme choice and eventually left the group."
In response, April and Lee Hyun-joo's agency DSP Media stated, "We are verifying the facts."
Meanwhile, Lee Hyun-joo debuted with April in 2015 but left the team after one year due to health reasons such as panic disorder and breathing difficulties. At that time, she announced through a handwritten letter that she would pursue acting, but later faced criticism for re-debuting in the group UNI.T after appearing on KBS 2TV's audition program 'Idol Rebooting Project The Unit.'
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