Former fromis_9 member Roh Ji Sun has opened up about the financial difficulties she faced after her group activities came to an end, revealing that she once relied on a card loan to cover basic living expenses.
On October 11, Roh Ji Sun appeared on YouTube channel *Min Sae Rom’s Open Studio*, where she discussed the reality of adjusting to life after years in the idol industry.
She explained that after her activities with fromis_9 ended, she did not want to continue depending on her parents or older brother for financial support. However, when she looked into getting a regular loan, she said she was unable to qualify because she had no job or steady income at the time.
With immediate expenses to pay, she eventually borrowed 3 million won through a card loan.
Recalling how uncertain things felt at the time, Roh Ji Sun said, *“I thought I could live for three or four months with it.”*
She added that she was not in a position to carefully compare interest rates and said it took her around a year to fully repay the amount.
Following the interview, Roh Ji Sun shared a lengthy personal message reflecting on the 15 years she spent working toward and living as an idol, from age 14 to 29.
She wrote, *“I tried to fit 15 years, from age 14 to 29, into about 20 minutes. It wasn’t enough time to tell every story, and there were also things I couldn’t talk about.”*
She also reflected on how her relationship with appearance and beauty changed while working in entertainment.
Roh Ji Sun explained, *“I like beautiful things. I enjoy dressing myself up, wearing things I like, and seeing and creating beautiful things. I think I always will.”*
However, she added, *“I learned that wanting to look beautiful because I like it and feeling that I have to exist in a way that looks good to someone else are two different things. It took me quite a long time to understand that difference.”*
She described the post as likely the first and last time she would speak at such length about that period of her life.
*“I don’t think I was trying to convince anyone or settle accounts with the past,”* she wrote. *“My story became long, and I simply wanted to leave it somewhere in my own voice at least once.”*
During the interview, Roh Ji Sun also briefly addressed the past vote-manipulation controversy surrounding *Idol School*. She said she had believed her No. 1 ranking came from her own efforts, but later reports about manipulation left her questioning her position. She added that she had been cautious about publicly discussing her own feelings because other contestants were directly harmed by the manipulation and she did not want her comments to cause them further pain.
Roh Ji Sun debuted with fromis_9 in 2018. Her exclusive contract with Pledis Entertainment ended in late 2024, bringing that chapter of her idol career to a close.
