By Iris Shen
On April 5, 2022, Source Music and HYBE revealed the second member of their brand-new group: 16-year-old Kim Garam. The 6-member South Korean girl group, LE SSERAFIM, debuted on May 2, 2022 with their album titled FEARLESS.
HYBE is a conglomerate that owns Source Music along with many other smaller labels such as Big Hit Music and Pledis Entertainment. BTS, Seventeen, Enhypen, and TXT all fall under the HYBE label. However, their two girl groups, Glam and Gfriend, disbanded in 2015 and 2021 respectively. HYBE formed LE SSERAFIM to fill a girl group–shaped hole in its roster. Even before joining LE SSERAFIM, the group’s members were very accomplished — one member is a ballerina while another is a trained opera singer, and two other members were previously part of the well-known girl group IZ*ONE, which disbanded last April due to the ending of their contract. LE SSERAFIM was set to make big waves on the competitive K-pop scene.
“They are taking a daring stance and saying right from the outset that they will stand at the very top,” wrote Source Music. “The group’s name, LE SSERAFIM, is an anagram of the words ‘IM FEARLESS’ … It is like an incantation to guarantee their success on the merit of their unbreakable poise and strength.”
However, this was all before the bullying accusations started.
A few days after Garam was revealed as a member, netizens started digging and found information about her middle school past. An anonymous source leaked school records on Garam’s bullying on May 15.
A statement released by the law firm Daeryun, which represents a girl named Yoo Eunseo, asserts that the leaked documents are consistent with those submitted by the firm’s client: “The victim (going by the name Yoo Eunseo) was a victim of school violence from Kim Garam and her friends from late April to early May of 2018. She transferred to a new school 1 to 2 weeks after the incidents because she was unable to withstand the continuous group violence.” According to the statement, Eunseo was distraught after HYBE revealed Garam’s involvement with the group.
After these claims, Source Music and HYBE issued a statement that accused Daeryun of compiling a one-sided argument that made Garam look bad. Even though the statement did not directly address Garam’s bullying past, it does deny rumors that blew up the internet, including accusations of smoking and drinking, being forced to transfer schools, and using vulgar language.
On May 20, HYBE and Source Music announced Garam’s indefinite hiatus. After canceling appearances on May 20, LE SSERAFIMcontinued performing as a five-member group.
Later, after nearly two months of silence on the issue, Source Music and HYBE formally announced the termination of Garam’s contract on Wednesday, July 20.
The statement reads: “Our company has decided to terminate the exclusive contract with Kim Garam. We extend our sincerest apologies to our fans and to those who have shown love and support to the group. LE SSERAFIM will continue their activities as a five-member group, and we will spare no effort to support the group.”
Source articles: https://www.nme.com/news/music/gfriend-disbandment-confirm-handwritten-letters-2944777
https://www.vulture.com/2022/07/did-kim-garam-leave-le-sserafim-due-to-bullying-allegations.html
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/le-sserafim-kim-garam-bullying-accusation-1385886/
https://www.sourcemusic.com/artist/profile/LE%20SSERAFIM
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— SOURCEMUSIC (@SOURCEMUSIC) July 20, 2022