Former T-ara member Areum is making headlines again — this time not for music, but for serious legal trouble involving fraud, child abuse, and defamation.

On April 10, the Criminal Division 9 of the Suwon District Court's Ansan Branch found Areum guilty of scamming fans and acquaintances out of 37 million won (about $27,000 USD).

The court sentenced her to 6 months in prison, suspended for 2 years — meaning she won’t go to jail unless she commits another crime during that time.

According to reports, several victims came forward between March and May last year. They said Areum borrowed money from them, claiming she was having personal problems or issues with her boyfriend — but she never paid them back.

At first, she denied the accusations, saying her account was hacked or that her boyfriend was to blame. But during the investigation, she admitted she did it herself.

This isn’t her first run-in with the law. Areum was also found guilty of emotionally abusing her children by yelling at her ex-husband in front of them, and for defaming someone by sharing private court documents about her ex-boyfriend on a broadcast.

For this, she received another suspended sentence — 8 months in prison with 2 years of suspension — and was ordered to complete 40 hours of child abuse prevention education.

Her mother was also sentenced to 4 months in prison with 1 year of suspension for her own role in the child abuse case.

The court strongly criticized Areum’s actions, saying, “Causing serious emotional harm to children in front of their legal guardian deserves strong criticism,” and added that she made insulting claims without checking the facts.

Areum debuted with T-ara in 2012 but left the group in 2013. In recent years, she’s been in the spotlight more for her personal life. She married a businessman in 2019 and had two sons but divorced in 2023.

She later remarried and had a third child in late 2023 — and she is currently pregnant with her fourth.

Fans who once supported her are now feeling hurt and disappointed as this once-promising idol faces serious charges and criticism.

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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]