Choa recalls leaving AOA after TWICE and BLACKPINK made their debut

Former AOA member Choa shares why she left the group during a YouTube talk show. Captured from YouTube channel real_fin

Singer Choa, formerly of girl group AOA, has spoken for the first time in eight years about the reasons behind her departure from the group in 2017.

Appearing on the YouTube channel real_fin on Wednesday, Choa reflected on her decision to step away from AOA and the entertainment industry at the height of her career.

She debuted with AOA in 2012 and quickly rose to fame, but in June 2017 announced she was leaving the group and halted all activities. She returned in 2021 and now works as both a singer and television personality.

When asked if there was a moment she decided she needed a break, Choa said, “I dreamed of becoming an idol and debuted, but I realized that working harder wouldn’t necessarily change the outcome.”

She explained that her struggles coincided with the rise of powerhouse girl groups. “At my most difficult time, BLACKPINK and TWICE debuted,” she said. “Seeing such strong rookies, I thought, ‘This is my peak. Even if I try harder, things won’t get better.’ So I decided to leave with the mindset of, ‘Let’s step away while people are still applauding.’”

Choa added that she made the decision alone, believing her fellow members might not have liked her. “At that time, I thought, ‘If I continue like this, it will be mentally too hard. I need to find my own happiness.’

"The bestselling book ‘The Courage to Be Disliked’ was popular then, and I really took that to heart when I left,” she said. She noted that even if she could go back in time, she would likely make the same choice.

Her departure sparked speculation at the time, with rumors of romance and even marriage fueling speculation that she was leaving the industry to settle down.

Addressing that, she said, “Some people still think I got married. Because I left at such a good point in my career, it didn’t make sense to them otherwise. They asked, ‘If not marriage, what other reason could there be?’ But I didn’t get married. I still hope to one day.”

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.