K-pop girl group April disbands
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This comes after the group was embroiled in a bullying scandal last year.
PHOTO: OFFICIAL.APRIL_JP/INSTAGRAM
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SEOUL - South Korean girl group April has disbanded. K-pop media outlets said that the band's agency announced the news on Friday (Jan 28).
"After a long period of discussion and debate, our agency and the April members decided to have the group disband and go their separate ways. We ask that you give lots of support and interest to the six members, who will be walking a new path that is not part of April," the agency said in a statement translated by website Soompi.
After the announcement, members of the group sent messages to their fans. Chaekyung, 25, thanked them for their support and love over the years, while Rachel, 21, added, "I want to say I'm sorry and I love you. It's a pity that we each have to go our separate ways from now on, but please support all our members for a new start."
The six-member group, which made its debut in August 2015, last released music in 2020 with the single album Hello Summer.
It was embroiled in a bullying scandal last year.
Former member Hyunjoo, 23, said that she had been bullied by the band from 2014, when she was preparing for her debut, until 2017, when she left the group.
"During those three years, I was forced to suffer because of violent actions and behaviour, ridicule, swearing and attacks on my character. And it was especially painful to bear groundless insults and attacks on the character of my precious grandmother, mum, dad and younger brother," she wrote in an Instagram post in April.
Members of April had denied the allegations at the time. Yena, 21, said, "I always felt that one member was constantly pushing us away. When something happened to all of us, she thought of herself as the only victim. And even in a situation that arose by coincidence, she acted like we were the perpetrators."
Now, in the wake of the group's breakup, Hyunjoo has come under fire on social media.
One netizen asked, "hyunjoo ruined them… was it worth it?" while another noted that "April was really rising last year… they also got awards until Hyunjoo [made her allegations]".
