Celebrity

The differences between Soojin, Kim Garam, and Lia’s school violence scandals

(G)I-DLE Soojin, LE SSERAFIM Kim Garam, and ITZY Lia were all accused of being a school bully, but their situations differs 

School bullying is a serious issue in Korea, so for a Kpop idol to be involved in such accusations, they may be canceled, or even kicked out of the group. However, not every school violence accusation carries the same weight, and for these three 4th gen female Kpop idols, their situations are vastly different. 

Kim Garam (LE SSERAFIM)

On July 20th, LE SSERAFIM’s agency HYBE Labels and Source Music officially announced that they have terminated their exclusive contract with Kim Garam, after she went on hiatus due to school bullying scandals. They also apologized to fans and confirmed that LE SSERAFIM will promote with 5 members from now on. 

Previously, Kim Garam was accused of bullying fellow schoolmates, making indecent poses, and even insulting or verbally assaulting senior idols like BTS V, LE SSERAFIM Sakura, Jang Wonyoung, and IVE. 

Alleged photos of the female idol posing in front of indecent drawings and writing indecent things were also spreaded

Against all accusations and evidence, however, HYBE Labels and Source Music only added fuel to the fire, maintaining that Kim Garam is innocent and threatening to sue alleged victims. They even announced that Kim Garam will take a hiatus “to heal herself from wounds” she suffered from malicious rumors, and never issue any apology. 

Soojin ((G)I-DLE)

Compared to Kim Garam, who just debuted, Soojin’s controversy broke out at the peak of her career. As a result, a war commenced between Soojin’s fans, who firmly believe her, and the people who sided with the alleged victim. 

Cube Entertainment initially protected Soojin, calling every claim malicious rumors and took the issue to court. However, Soojin ended up leaving the group so as not to affect (G)I-DLE’s career. 

Lia (ITZY)

Among the 3, Lia is perhaps the luckiest case, as she was not forced to leave her group. The female idol was previously accused of not returning borrowed money, forming bullying chat groups, and isolating people she hated at school.

As the scandal gained attention, JYP Entertainment refuted all accusations, sued the rumor source, and clarified the situation. While some are still not fully convinced, Lia is largely considered to be innocent, and remains active in all ITZY activities. 

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