4 Confessions Made By Current And Former K-Pop Idols That Will Break Your Heart

“No matter how much weight I lost, I never ended up being pretty.”

Being a K-Pop idol isn’t easy, as they have to deal with physical and mental stress. Over the years, lots of current and former idols have made some heartbreaking confessions. Here are 4 confessions made by current and former K-Pop idols that will break your heart.

1. Former BONUSbaby member Kong Yoo Jin speaking on some of the things she endured

Former BONUSbaby member Kong Yoo Jin

In an interview with The Korea Times, former BONUSbaby member Kong Yoo Jin spoke about some of the hardships she endured as an idol. Kong Yoo Jin spoke about all the practices she had to do and the amount of damage it did to her body. She shared that her vocal cords got damaged due to her changing her voice to suit the group’s image.

Kong Yoo Jin also shared that she and the other members barely got any sleep due to them constantly practicing and having to go to broadcasting stations early in the morning.

BONUSbaby’s company was also strict about the members’ weight, telling them that they couldn’t weigh more than 46kg (101 pounds). The company was so strict about this that they weighed the members every day. Kong Yoo Jin was so concerned about her weight that she would sometimes starve herself.

One of the worst things Kong Yoo Jin had to experience was that their company restricted them from seeing their families. The only time the members got to see their families were when they would come to the company building, which usually lasted only an hour.

All this stress caused Kong Yoo Jin’s depression to get deeper, and she started thinking she was an unworthy person.

Kong Yoo Jin eventually left both BONUSbaby and the company. However, Kong Yoo Jin is now appreciative of her time as an idol, as she believes these tough times made her stronger. She now wants to become a music teacher!

2. Former AOA member Choa talking about how self-conscious she was about her weight

Former AOA member Choa

In an episode of tvN‘s On & Off, former AOA member Choa shared that in her first three years of being in the group, she weighed around 30kg (66 pounds). Choa also shared that she felt that she “wasn’t pretty.”

No matter how much weight I lost, I never ended up being pretty.

— Choa

Choa felt self-conscious because of the other celebrities she saw on stage.

When I saw celebrities on stage, they were so cool.

— Choa

Thankfully, Choa no longer diets like this.

3. Crayon Pop’s Way speaking on the rough treatment she had to endure 

Crayon Pop’s Way

In an interview with the YouTube channel Asian Boss, Crayon Pop’s Way shared that being an idol is extremely tough. Way shared that she had dance practices all the time and that these practices led to a lot of damages to her body, such as her legs getting bruised or swollen.

Crayon Pop’s company also restricted the members from contacting people to keep them from dating. This restriction even applied to family members, as there was a time when Way’s father came to the company for her birthday, but he was turned away.

Way spoke about how she wanted people to understand that many hardships come with being a K-Pop idol and that they shouldn’t just see the positive sides.

4. Former Apink member Hong Yukyung speaking about her original plans

Former Apink member Hong Yukyung

Hong Yukyung debuted as a member of Apink in 2011 but left the group in 2013. Apink’s agency stated that she left the group to pursue her studies, but Hong Yukyung’s father claimed she was kicked out of the group. Apink’s agency never responded to the claim made by Hong Yukyung’s father.

In a recent interview with the YouTube channel Allympic, Hong Yukyung revealed that she still wanted to be an idol even after leaving Apink.

I was more desperate than anyone. I had one of the longest training periods among the members. I worked really hard to debut. I even dreamt about it a few days ago. I miss that life.

— Hong Yukyung

Hong Yukyung also shared that she got offers to debut in other groups after leaving Apink, but she rejected these offers since she didn’t want to harm Apink potentially.

I was worried re-debuting would harm Apink. I wanted to go for it again. I think I was dreaming. I was worried that if I joined another group, I’d never be able to rejoin Apink.

— Hong Yukyung

Hong Yukyung also revealed that she originally wanted to rejoin Apink one day, but this never happened. Hong Yukyung is now no longer an idol and has pursued a career as a fashion designer!

That’s why I wanted to succeed. I wanted to succeed and cheer on Apink with a pure heart. I also wanted to succeed so that I could rejoin them one day.

— Hong Yukyung