Popular girl band AOA (Ace of Angels) has been performing since 2012, and will move on without their leader Jimin, according to an official statement by their management agency on the 4th of July.
The decision about Jimin’s departure from the group came after a controversy sparked by former AOA member Mina, who revealed that she has been harassed by Jimin for 11 years.
On 3 July, Mina, who withdrew from the band in 2019 and started an acting career, shared several posts on SNS alleging that one of the bandmates had bullied her for years, describing her hard times without revealing the name of the bully.
Fans, however, suggested that the person in question might be AOA leader Jimin. The latter made the situation worse by publishing an Instagram story with a black screen containing the word "Fiction" on it, that she later deleted.
Mina subsequently shared photos of scars on her wrist, saying it wasn't fiction and that Jimin was the one responsible for her suicide attempts, thus confirming speculations among fans and netizens that she had been bullied by Jimin.
Warning! The following content is graphic and may offend sensibilities!
After the posts, Mina’s agency Woori Actors stated that staff and friends check her regularly to ensure her emotional stability.
Mina also shared that all the band's members, including Jimin, visited her home where after arguing with Jimin, the leader apologised and also wrote an official apology on her SNS, but still decided to call a halt to her artistic career.
The whole situation made fans of the group and those who are in K-pop fandoms to think again about the real lives of their musical idols.