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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Seo Ye Ji is facing major backlash after her surprising appearance on SNL Korea 7.

On April 12, Seo Ye Ji made her long-awaited return to variety shows by guest-starring on Coupang Play's SNL Korea Season 7.

Before the show started, she made jaws drop by joking, "I'll gaslight the SNL crew and make it fun," referencing her own past controversies.

During the "Seo Ye GPT" segment, Seo Ye Ji played an AI that helped Kim Won Hoon nail a company presentation. She then made a sharp comment, saying, "The truly embarrassing thing is sitting quietly and being talked about behind your back. I've experienced that a lot," hinting at the criticism she’s faced.

In the "Eve Hair Salon" skit, Seo Ye Ji acted as a salon director and joked about her past "Kim Ddak Ddak" scandal, where she was accused of controlling her then-boyfriend Kim Jung Hyun. When a character mentioned her stiff neck, she responded, "It's firm," making everyone laugh but also stirring mixed feelings.

Fans were shocked to see Seo Ye Ji using her past scandals as comedy material, especially since it’s been eight years since her last variety show appearance. Many pointed out that joking about serious accusations like gaslighting and academic fraud might have gone too far.

The controversy over Seo Ye Ji’s education also came back into the spotlight. She had previously claimed she studied abroad in Spain, but in 2021 it was revealed she never actually attended the university she mentioned.

Her agency explained she was accepted but didn’t attend because of her career in Korea, but many netizens weren’t convinced.

On SNL Korea, Seo Ye Ji even played a character who lied about her past to impress a boyfriend, making fans think of her real-life academic background scandal.

After the episode aired, reactions online exploded. Some comments included, "Falsifying academic background is a crime," "This was too much," "It was funny though," "Let’s forgive it since it’s black comedy," and "Why was Seo Ye Ji the first guest?"

Seo Ye Ji’s bold jokes have definitely split public opinion, with some calling it brave and others saying it only reopened old wounds.

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