AOA's Seolhyun is currently in the center of rumors, with many claiming that the idol caused a disturbance due to smoking in her hotel room in Thailand and her bad attitude.
On July 22, an online community shared alleged news called "Thai cigarette disturbance," in which a girl group member allegedly caused a disturbance for smoking cigarettes in her hotel room. The rumors stem all the way from September of 2016, when E-Channel's "Brave Journalist" reported that girl group member B, who is known for having a sweet, innocent image, actually swears and smokes often.
The reporter said that when the girl group member went to Thailand to shoot a commercial, she smoked in her hotel room. The floor she was in was a non-smoking floor, which led smoke alarms to ring. Guests had to vacate the rooms.
When the hotel management confronted the idol, she confidently proclaimed that she didn't know it was a non-smoking area. In the end, she refused to admit her wrongdoings, and the hotel staff had apologized to her instead.
The reporter also claims the girl group member was late to her commercial shoot because she was taking selfies. However, the brand couldn't cut ties with her since she's such a top star. In the end, they re-signed a contract with her, meaning she is still the face of the brand.
The reporter also states that the idol "talks with her chin," saying the kind members she had in her group are treated as errand runners for her.
Seolhyun is known to have gone to Thailand to shoot a commercial and had re-signed with the brand she shot for as an advertising model. This has led people to conclude that the girl group member involved in the "Thai cigarette disturbance" must be Seolhyun.
FNC Entertainment has denied these claims, saying, "We're firmly stating that the person in the rumors is not Seolhyun. We are in the process of collecting data to take the appropriate legal action against these groundless rumors and the spread of false information."
Previously, Seolhyun was slammed by Korean netizens for allegedly being a bystander as former AOA leader Shin Jimin bullied former member Kwon Mina for ten years. Many hated on her for enabling Jimin's actions for not standing up for Kwon Mina. Additionally, past footage from Arirang's "After School Club" showed both Jimin and Seolhyun picking Mina as the most annoying member. Some netizens speculated that Seolhyun might have been slightly involved in the bullying as the two have said numerous times that they are best friends.
Seolhyun debuted as the lead dancer, vocalist, center, face of the group, and visual of AOA back in 2012, under FNC Entertainment. Though the group is currently four members, they originally debuted as eight. Youkyung left the group in October 2016, Choa left in June 2017, Mina left in May 2019, and Jimin left in July 2020.
Though AOA debuted in 2012, they found breakthrough success in 2014 after the released hit after hit, establishing them as one of the leading girl groups of the second generation. Their hit song, "Heart Attack," debuted at the top of the charts upon its release and was the most downloaded song of 2015. The group debuted in Japan in 2015.
In August 2019, the group saw a resurgence in popularity following their appearance on Mnet's "Queendom," where the girls were met with praise and positive reception. Following their participation in the show, the group made a comeback.
In early 2020, former member Mina made numerous Instagram posts alluding to being bullied by a member for ten years, to the point where she had self-harmed and attempted to kill herself. After it was revealed to be Jimin, FNC Entertainment announced that they would manage their artists and that Jimin would be removed from the group and would retire from the entertainment industry.
