Hwayoung leaves T-ara amidst allegations of bullying

T-ara

Korean girl group T-ara has been struck by a wave of negative rumours as of late which has shockingly ended with member Hwayoung leaving the group. The 19-year-old was one of the newer additions made to T-ara's lineup and has been with the group for almost two years.

Prior to Hwayoung's departure, cryptic messages posted on the personal accounts of T-ara's original members, including Jiyeon and Hyomin, led to speculation that the members were dissatisfied with Hwayoung's attitude towards being a performer. This was followed by rumours that she was being bullied by her fellow members. This issue surfaced after Hwayoung performed at one of their Japanese concerts while seated on a chair due to a leg injury.

In a statement issued to the press at 1pm KST (12pm local time) today, Core Contents Media (CCM) announced that they would be terminating Hwayoung's contract with immediate effect. In the statement, they expressed "regret" for her departure but have stood firm on their ground that the decision was made after careful consideration and is for the best interest of the group.

It stated that they have decided on the matter based on the complaints of 19 staff members regarding Hwayoung's attitude and denied all rumours of bullying within the group.

In the statement, CCM also claimed that the posts by the members were misinterpreted and in fact not directed at Hwayoung - contrary to the statement that they had issued immediately after the tweets surfaced, which claimed that the girls' accounts were hacked into simultaneously.

T-ara