T-ara’s Qri Breaks Silence with Cryptic SNS Post Following Ryu Hwayoung’s Claims of Bullying

On November 10, T-ara’s Qri posted a cryptic photo on her personal social media—a picture of the moon partially hidden by the night’s darkness—without any caption. This post has attracted attention following actress and former T-ara member Ryu Hwayoung‘s recent claims of being bullied during her time in the group. The comments section on Qri’s social media has since been flooded with debates from fans.

Earlier, on November 9, Kim Kwangsoo, the former CEO of T-ara’s agency, discussed the bullying controversy from 12 years ago during an appearance on MBN’s Let’s Go GO Season 3. Kim explained that when Hwayoung sprained her ankle and couldn’t perform during a concert in Japan, the other members expected her to apologize. Back in Korea, as they planned to discuss it, a former T-ara staff member revealed threatening messages sent by Hwayoung’s sister, Hyoyoung, to T-ara’s youngest member at the time, Ahreum.

Kim claimed that he became upset and tore up the sisters’ contracts, urging them to “leave and do their own work.” However, this emotional reaction unintentionally fueled the bullying rumors, severely damaging T-ara’s image. Although T-ara’s parents wanted to disclose the full conversation, Kim refrained, citing concerns for Hwayoung and Hyoyoung’s well-being.

The day after Kim’s appearance, on November 10, Hwayoung addressed the matter on social media. She expressed confusion over why Kim would “distort the 12-year-old incident with biased statements” and felt compelled to “correct the misinformation.” She claimed that “the bullying was real,” refuting allegations that she had faked being a victim and insisted she made every effort to integrate with the existing members while dealing with violent language and physical abuse.

Hwayoung also disclosed that she had originally intended to hold a press conference to present evidence of the bullying but was persuaded by Kim to remain silent, as he offered to release her sister from her contract if she kept quiet. “At just 20 years old, I thought this was the best decision,” she added, emphasizing that she left the group without an apology and had kept silent for 12 years.

Hwayoung joined T-ara in 2010, but left the group in 2012 amid the bullying controversy. She has since pursued an acting career, appearing in dramas like Age of Youth, The Beauty Inside, and Player 2: The Scam’s War.

Meanwhile, T-ara recently celebrated their 15th debut anniversary with a concert in Macau, reconnecting with fans.