LE SSERAFIM is a five-member girl group from South Korea that debuted with the mini-album “FEARLESS” in May 2022. The group has been attracting a lot of attention even before their debut, and they are very popular in Japan as well.
They are now a 5-member group, but did you know that they actually debuted with 6 members? Her age at that time was only 16 years old.
In this issue, we will introduce the reason why Kim Garam left the group shortly after its debut and her current activities.
What is LE SSERAFIM?
At the time of its debut, LE SSERAFIM had three Korean, one Korean-American, and two Japanese members, including Ms. Kim Garam. In Japan, the group is known for having former HKT48 member Sakira Miyawaki as a member.
They also attracted attention as the first female group belonging to HYBE, to which popular groups from Korea such as BTS and TXT belong.
At the end of 2022, they will participate in the NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen (Red and White Singing Contest) despite having only just debuted. They quickly became a popular group.
About Kim Garam’s departure from the group
LE SSERAFIM debuted as a promising newcomer group, but less than three weeks later, the group announced that Ms. Kim Garam would be taking a leave of absence due to mental health reasons. For the time being, the five members will continue their activities together.
Two months later, on July 20, LE SSERAFIM announced the termination of Ms. Kim’s contract with the agency and her withdrawal from the group, and they officially became a five-member group.
What was the reason for Kim Garam’s departure from the group?
The reason for her departure from the group is not known for certain, but the most likely reason is said to be a bullying incident that occurred when he was in junior high school.
When the members of LE SSERAFIM were announced before their debut, a victim came forward and revealed that she had been bullied by Ms. Kim Garam when she was in middle school. She disclosed that she had been violently attacked and slandered by several people on the Internet, which quickly became a problem. The victim was also told that she had to change schools because of the bullying.
What was the response from her agency?
After this revelation, her agency, HYBE, claimed that Kim Garam was rather a victim of bullying. It also commented that it would “take legal action against any one-sided allegations or dissemination of false facts related to this matter,” which appears to be a rather strong stance.
However, at the time this issue arose, Kim Garam was under the “School Violence No. 5,” a punishment for students who have caused violent incidents on campus in Korea. As a result, he says, there was not a little bashing from the public.
What happened to Ms. Kim Garam afterwards
After leaving the school, she did not take any notable actions, but on August 10, 2022, she confessed her feelings for the first time on social networking sites. She claimed that her actions at the time were done to help her friends, and also reflected on the immaturity of her actions. He stated that he would like to live her life from now on, making every effort to do her best.
There are some testimonies that he is working part-time at a fast food restaurant, but all of them are probably at the rumor level. Since he is still in her teens, she may be living her school life as an ordinary student.
Conclusion
We have introduced Kim Garam, who left LE SSERAFIM, and although she debuted at the young age of 16, it seems that her past actions have destroyed her bright future. Nevertheless, I hope that the first priority will be given to the mental care of those who were bullied.
As for Kim Garam, her first priority is to reflect on her series of actions and make the most of them in the future. We hope that she will be active again in some way.
