Former Jewelry member Cho Min-ah claims she was harassed by group mates

Former K-pop idol Cho Min-ah / Captured from Cho's SNS

By Hong Hye-min

The now-disbanded K-pop girl group Jewelry is facing allegations of abuse and harassment, following new revelations from a former member.

Cho Min-ah, who was a member of Jewelry from 2002 to 2005, revealed in a social media post on Saturday that she had experienced symptoms of panic disorder, which required her to take medication until recently. She uploaded another post on Monday expressing her gratitude for all the support and encouragement she had received, saying, “I shared my earlier message in support of others who are also struggling with panic disorder, but I feel truly grateful for all the words of encouragement I've gotten.”

Cho clarified that the rumors she had been suffering from panic attacks since her early twenties were false, but did reveal that she'd been “bullied” by her Jewelry group mates during that time for more than three years.

She said, “They were always smoking inside the van, and I felt like a human ashtray. It was mentally draining, but I did my best to endure. I was worried that the world might turn against me if I had told anyone about the bullying, so I pretended to get along with my group mates just fine. But the situation got so bad later that I couldn't even get in the same vehicle as them, and I had to get a ride with the backup dancers instead. I barely made it to the end of my contract, but resigning was out of the question.”

Cho continued, “I've weathered the storm and doing much better now that a lot of time has passed. This is a message for everyone out there who is also struggling to maintain healthy relationships with other people. People who do you harm don't take about the pain they inflict on others. They will either say it never happened or that they don't remember. But for the victims, the suffering, humiliation and misery they endured will remain and continue to be a source of pain for years or even decades.”

She added, “Don't ever hold out hope for a sincere apology or else you'll be hurt and disappointed all over again. People don't change, and the more you wallow in your suffering, the greater the pain. They will always deny their actions to bury their dark past. Even if they admit it, they will somehow try to make it sound like it was your fault. Understand that closure may never come, so take good care of yourself and live the best life you can lead. Don't blame yourself for what happened because it's not your fault.”

Hong Hye-min (hhm@hankookilbo.com) is a reporter at The Hankook Ilbo, a sister publication of The Korea Times. This article, previously published in The Hankook Ilbo, has been translated as part of a news-sharing program