Former AOA member Kwon Mina revealed in early July that she was bullied by then-leader Shin Jimin for ten years while promoting with the group. Since then, numerous allegations have been made and Kwon Mina had even shared posts of self-harm.
On August 10, a fan had filed a complaint to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Department, requesting police to investigate the AOA bullying incident, saying that those guilty need to receive punishment. On August 13, the Gangnam Police Station started a preliminary internal investigation into the bullyings.
However, it was revealed that Kwon Mina had rejected a formal police investigation into the bullying incident. When first announced, Woori Actors stated that Mina is currently in an unstable condition and didn't want her situation to get any worse.
Upon hearing that she rejected a formal police investigation, people started to question why she would not want to pursue legal justice for all that she endured. Her agency Woori Actors, spoke up for Mina, saying, "We declined a formal police investigation because we do not want the situation to get worse. We do not plan to respond in any other way."
The company then stressed once more that Mina had chosen to deactivate her Instagram account to focus on her recovery. Her last post on Instagram was an apology for her behavior, as well as a statement saying she has accepted FNC Entertainment CEO Han Sung Ho's apology.
"Many people were worried for me and cheered for me, so I apologize for disappointing everyone once more... To all those who were hurt because of my actions... And to those who were caught by surprise by that photo, I would like to sincerely apologize. On that day when I couldn't wake up, I was told that my former FNC Entertainment family stayed by my side all night... I also met with CEO Han Sung Ho today. I really did love FNC Entertainment and AOA... so it was very difficult for me to give it up because of those problems... While listening to CEO Han's side of the story, I felt his sincerity... and I really regret that things had to turn out this way... To the fans who were worried for me, as well as to my friends and family... and to the fans of AOA who are going through a hard time because of what I did, I am so sorry. I will reflect and receive treatment so that this never happens again... I am so sorry..."
A RUNDOWN ON THE SITUATION
Back in early July 2020, Mina had revealed via Instagram that she had chosen to leave AOA and FNC Entertainment because she was bullied by a member for ten years. At the time, Mina did not name who bullied her, though has said that the member's father had recently passed away.
As Mina's post started to go viral, former AOA member and leader Jimin posted the word "fiction" to her Instagram story, subtly saying that Mina was lying about being bullied. After this, Mina revealed that Jimin was the member who bullied her, and stated she endured a lot of pain due to the mistreatment she received from her.
One major incident Mina revealed was how she still completed her promotional activity with AOA despite her father's passing. Though she wanted to take time to mourn and cancel her appearances in activities, she took minimal days off and pushed through with the majority of her promotions, all while making sure she didn't ruin the mood of the group to ensure Jimin wasn't angry.
When Jimin's father passed away, however, she canceled all her activities and even got a VIP room at the hospital.
Following the revelation that Jimin was the bully, the AOA members and managers visited Mina to apologize. When Jimin arrived, however, she allegedly started to act inappropriately, such as insincerely apologizing and threatening to kill herself with a knife.
Following the house visit, Jimin shared a post to her Instagram, saying she visited Mina personally and apologized and begged for forgiveness. Mina refuted this and revealed she was gaslighted by Jimin in her own home, as Jimin had pretended to have no recollection of the bullying incidents. Mina went on to say that all the eyes and ears at her house that night had sided with then-leaser Jimin, meaning no AOA member and FNC Entertainment managers stuck by her.
Soon after, FNC Entertainment announced that Jimin would no longer be part of AOA and would be leaving the industry. On August 9, FNC Entertainment released a statement about the situation, where they apologized to Mina. Korean netizens were not happy with the apology, as they believed parts of their statement put the blame on Mina, the victim.
On August 8, Mina's label Woori Actors confirmed that they had sent the paramedics to her home after she shared a self-harming post to Instagram. The agency confirmed that she was in the hospital and was receiving emergency treatment, and assured fans that her condition is stable and non-life-threatening.
Three days after, Mina shared a post to her Instagram. She apologized for her behavior and revealed to have accepted FNC Entertainment and CEO Han Sung Ho's apology. She went on to say that she would be taking time to reflect and will be receiving treatment.
On August 11, fans discovered that Jimin had deleted every form on content from her YouTube channel, a sign that she was retiring the online entertainment industry as well as the mainstream entertainment industry. On August 12, Mina deleted her Instagram account to focus on her treatment.
