Le Sserafim's Kim Ga-ram takes a break due to scandal

Le Sserafim's Kim Ga-ram will temporarily leave the girl group to deal with bullying accusations, Source Music said Friday. The group will operate as a five-member group. Source Music posted a statement on fan community platform Weverse about Kim..

Kim Ga-ram of Le Sserafim [SOURCE MUSIC]

Le Sserafim’s Kim Ga-ram will temporarily leave the girl group to deal with bullying accusations, Source Music said Friday.

The group will operate as a five-member group.

Source Music posted a statement on fan community platform Weverse about Kim and the bullying accusations she faces. The statement says she will focus on easing her mind as “she was attacked with so many rumors since before her debut that she has been experiencing psychological stress.”

The agency rebutted allegations that Kim bullied a classmate in middle school and claimed that “Kim Ga-ram was also a victim of school violence.”

It said that Kim's accuser, referred to by the pseudonym Yoo Eun-seo, was the actual villain of the situation.

“Yoo Eun-seo took a photograph of a different classmate without permission, showing her in underwear while changing clothes at school and then posted it on social media,” the statement reads.

“Kim and her friends were furious and complained to Yoo, but there was no physical violence nor assault in the process.

“Yoo admitted her fault, but was not punished for what she did. Instead, she accused the classmates [Kim and friends] as bullies to the school’s committee for school violence, and Yoo transferred to a different school.”

Source Music said it can back up these claims with testimony from third parties.

Kim did not do the following things, the agency said: hit a classmate on the head with a flower pot, crack a classmate’s skull with a brick, go to school in a police car, engage in a gang fight, assault other classmates, drink and smoke under age, transfer to a different school under duress or speak ill of other artists.

Source Music also denied rumors that Kim was previously signed by a different agency but was forced to terminate her contract due to problems with her past or personality.

“We have started to take legal action against rumors that we have evidence for,” the statement continued. “We are continuing to collect evidence for other matters and will take additional actions legally.”

It has taken a month for the agency to issue a detailed statement on the bullying accusations.

“We apologize for remarks Kim has made in the past,” the statement continued. “Kim was only trying to stand up for her suffering friend, but Kim realizes that it was wrong to curse and behave in a way that is threatening to others, and she deeply regrets it.”

Source Music did not say how long Kim will be taking a break from Le Sserafim.

BY SHIN MIN-HEE [shin.minhee@joongang.co.kr]