• T-ARA's Ahreum Denies Serious Charges of Child Abuse and Defamation, Files Appeal After Court Ruling

    Ahreum, former member of the popular girl group T-ARA, is fighting back against serious charges after being sentenced to prison with a probation period. She has officially appealed the court’s ruling regarding charges of child abuse and defamation.

    On January 16, the Ansan Branch of the Suwon District Court sentenced Ahreum to 8 months in prison with a 2-year probation, along with 40 hours of child abuse prevention lectures. However, just a week later, on January 23, it was revealed that Ahreum had filed an appeal through her legal team, challenging the verdict.

    The charges stem from an incident in July 2024, when Ahreum was accused of emotionally abusing her children by using hurtful language in front of them, aimed at her ex-husband. She was also accused of defaming individual A, who had disclosed a court ruling involving Ahreum’s boyfriend B during an internet broadcast.

    The court made it clear during sentencing that Ahreum admitted to the child abuse charges but acknowledged that her actions caused significant emotional harm to her children’s caretakers. As for the defamation charges, the court found that although Ahreum denied any intent to defame, she had made no effort to verify the facts of her claims. Given the broadcast and her relationship with the victim, the court ruled that there was indirect intent to defame.

    In addition to Ahreum's sentencing, her mother, who was also charged with child abuse, was sentenced to 4 months in prison with 1-year probation.

    Ahreum joined T-ARA in 2012, but left the group the following year. In 2019, she married a businessman who is two years older than her, and they have two sons. However, in December 2024, she announced her divorce and plans to remarry her new partner, A. Ahreum previously revealed that she was a victim of domestic abuse by her ex-husband, but after an investigation, he was cleared of child abuse charges. Later, her ex-husband filed charges against Ahreum and her mother, accusing them of violating child welfare laws and kidnapping minors.

    Meanwhile, Ahreum was also accused of defrauding at least 10 people, including fans and acquaintances, of over 40 million KRW along with A. Ahreum denied these fraud allegations, blaming it on a hacker, and later revealed she was pregnant with A’s child. She eventually announced her separation from him, claiming that she had been threatened and had borrowed money from fans. However, the police investigated her for fraud, and it was later reported that Ahreum reconciled with A, had two more children, and continued to make headlines for her personal life.

    Stay tuned for more updates on Ahreum’s legal battle and personal developments.

    Source (1)

  • Lee Jun Young says he felt guilty and cried after acting mean to a grandma in 'Brave Citizen'

    Lee Jun Young recently opened up about the emotional toll of playing a villain—and how one powerful scene made him break down in tears behind the scenes.

    On the May 1st episode of KBS 2TV’s variety show Problem Child in House, Lee Jun Young appeared alongside co-star Jung Eun Ji to promote their new KBS drama Pump Up the Healthy Love.

    During the show, Lee Jun Young was asked about the most unforgettable villain he’s played. He chose his role as Han Su Gang in the film Brave Citizen.

    He explained, “It was really tough to film. I had to act like I was leading school violence, and there was even a scene where I bullied a grandmother.”

    The hosts were surprised, pointing out how kind and gentle he seems in real life. Lee Jun Young shared how he transforms for such roles.

    “I try to act as bad as I can, but sometimes the director says, ‘You still look too nice.’ Then I focus even harder and adjust right away.”

    He also revealed that filming one particular scene hit him hard emotionally. “My real grandmother was sick at the time,” he said.

    “In one scene, there’s a grandma selling gimbap, and I ad-libbed by stubbing a cigarette out on the gimbap. I was really into character, but after filming, I just broke down. So many thoughts came to me and I started crying.”

    Fans praised his dedication to acting but also felt moved by how deeply the role affected him. Lee Jun Young’s honesty gave a raw look at how even fictional roles can hit close to home.

    Source: [1]