Kim Ga-ram posts on social media 21 days after being kicked out of Le Sserafim

Kim Ga-ram, a former member of girl group Le Sserafim, uploaded a post on social media in 21 days after HYBE terminated its contact with her due to a school bullying scandal. Through her friend's Instagram on Wednesday evening..

Kim Ga-ram [HYBE]

Kim Ga-ram, a former member of girl group Le Sserafim, uploaded a post on social media in 21 days after HYBE terminated its contact with her due to a school bullying scandal.

Through her friend’s Instagram on Wednesday evening, Kim started off saying, “Hello, I’m Kim Ga-ram.”

“It’s too late, I know, but I haven’t been able to give my opinion on the matter,” she continued. “It’s true that I was scared that everything that I’ve worked for would crash due to my past behaviors. I grew more scared as I felt the criticism against me piling over every day. And if I am given the opportunity, I would like to honestly tell my side of the story.”

She continued on to deny any kind of school bullying or negative speculations related to her school behavior such as violence, drinking, smoking, or being forced to transfer to another school for her bad behavior.

“I was just an ordinary student,” she emphasized.

She also responded to the image of an official school document circulating online showing that a committee was called to deal with a case of school violence perpetrated by “Grade 1 Class 3 Kim Ga-ram.”

“The incident occurred between March and May in my first year of middle school, when a student named Yoo Eun-seo uploaded [on social media] gossip about my friends and a picture of one friend in her underwear. I went up to her to tell her off, wanting to help my friend, and in the process I did curse [at Eun-seo].”

She went on to say that she did not realize her behavior was wrong as she and her other friends ganged up on Eun-seo.

“At the time, my relationship with my friends was the most important thing to me, and I loved spending time with them,” she said. “I know that my methods [to resolve the conflict] were wrong and I was clumsy. I made mistakes, clumsy ones, but I don’t want to hate myself for that.

“I will continue to strive forward for my future,” she continued. “Debuting [as Le Sserafim] was the result of my hard work which I struggled through to achieve my dream. The first two weeks after my debut was a dream come true, and it will remain a time in my life that I’ll never forget.

“I will try to become a better person. And I want to thank you, my precious fans, for loving and supporting me. I managed to withstand everything because of your endless support. I promise to work hard.”

Kim, who debuted as a member of Le Sserafim on May 2 with EP “Fearless,” faced accusations of school bullying before her official debut. She took a hiatus from the group activities from May 20, and on July 20, HYBE announced it had terminated its contract with Kim.

BY LEE JAE-LIM [lee.jaelim@joongang.co.kr]