Watch: Former T-ara Member Areum Opens Up About Past Controversies And Performs For A Second Chance On "The Unit"

Oct 28, 2017

KBS’s idol rebooting program “The Unit” premiered on October 28. The show aims to give already-debuted idols a second chance at the spotlight and fans eagerly waited to see familiar faces back on their TV screens.

After four years, former T-ara member Areum stepped onto the stage of “The Unit.” Many people in the audience, as well as the mentors, were surprised to see the name T-ara on the screen and Areum on the stage.

In the interview, Areum opened up about why she left the group after one year of promotions. She said, “Discord…I can’t say there wasn’t any. Even family members fight with each other. At the time, the other members were young and I was even younger, but the media would use photos taken when we were tired and sensitive then write articles to say someone is being bullied or that there is discord within the group. If there was any trouble within the group, it was the small amount that exists within any family.”

Areum also brought up rumors about her illness and being possessed by ghosts. She refuted these claims by stating she drew on her face for Halloween and those photos were misconstrued in articles.

She revealed all of these things affected her mental health and towards the end of her promotions with T-ara, she developed social phobia. Areum revealed, “I was so scared of people. They all looked like monsters.” She eventually admitted herself into a hospital for a month to recuperate.

On stage, Areum said, “The biggest reason why I decided to come on [‘The Unit’] is because I was dancing to GFRIEND and when I saw my reflection in the mirror, it felt like such a waste [to throw away my talents]. I realized there was still something [passion] burning inside of me.”

HyunA smiled at her words and San-E encouraged her and said, “She’s ready. Imagine this panel as a mirror.” Areum performed to “Day and Night” by T-ara, Shannon, and Gavy NJ’s Gunji.

Watch Areum’s performance on “The Unit” below!