LE SSERAFIM is again in the middle of a controversy after releasing the cover of the Japanese magazine Nonno August edition. The image features the girl group members, including the controversial Kim Garam.
Many share their reaction to Kim Garam's inclusion in the image, knowing she has been on an indefinite hiatus due to the school bullying controversy she gets embroiled in. So, what do fans have to say about it?
AllKpop noted the cover photo was taken even before the rookie idol's hiatus was announced; thus, she was still part of the pictorial. So when the picture was pre-released, netizens couldn't help but share their thoughts about it.
They evidently showed how displeased they were with the photographs that included the alleged school bully. In fact, some of them suggested that the magazine should have at least edited the pictures and removed her.
Some fans said people behind the spread should have edited her out or let her stand on the outside, so it would be easier to remove her image. Others questioned why she was still included on the cover and asked if she wasn't removed from the group yet.
In the online community Pann Nate, netizens proposed that the magazine should have re-taken the photos, considering how controversial is Kim Garam. "They should know this would cause controversy, so they should've just edited her out," one fan explained.
Meanwhile, Source Music and HYBE announced Kim Garam would go on an indefinite hiatus due to the bullying allegations against her. The issue had been a hot topic on Korean internet forums and K-pop Twitter, per Vulture.
In April, the 16-year-old K-pop star was introduced as part of the new girl group LE SSERAFIM. After just six weeks, her life as a new idol had incredibly changed.
Her intense schedules, cute image and cyber adoration were gone in an instant after an anonymous source leaked school records that detailed Kim Garam's alleged bullying. A victim and her representative even stepped forward to prove the claim, while Source Music and HYBE released a statement of their won.
After everything that's said and done, it was decided that Kim Garam would go on a break and LE SSERAFIM would work as a five-piece group in the meantime. Multiple reports then revealed an industry representative said the music agencies were negotiating with the alleged bullying victim to bring the young artist into the fold.
