"I’ve worked with countless celebrities, but I’ve never seen an idol group as kind as April."

Hair stylist 'A,' who met with a reporter to address the ongoing accusations of "bullying and harassment" against the April members, broke down in tears at the start of the interview. 'A' expressed deep sympathy for the group, saying, "If I’m this emotional, imagine how much worse it is for the girls."

Recently, popular YouTuber Kwaktube (Kwak Joon Bin) faced backlash after posting a travel vlog with former April member and actress Lee Naeun. Many criticized the video, accusing Kwaktube—who has previously identified as a “former victim of bullying”—of “forgiving” Naeun, who has been accused of being the main perpetrator in the alleged bullying of ex-member Lee Hyunjoo. As a result, Kwaktube lost subscribers, and several planned events were canceled, damaging his reputation. Meanwhile, Lee Naeun, much like in 2021, has once again become the focus of public and media scrutiny, with the controversy and accusations growing instead of being resolved.

To uncover the truth, five individuals closely involved with April from their debut through their disbandment were interviewed by Kyunghyang Shinmun.

Q: What was your relationship with APRIL?

A: I was their hairstylist from their trainee days through their debut, working closely with them on location.

Q: Why did you agree to this interview?

A: It’s the right thing to do. As someone who knows the facts, I felt so sorry for them. Most people probably don’t want to mention a specific name or get involved, but if we don’t, others will live with misunderstandings forever. That’s why I decided to speak up.

Q: Recently, Kwaktube faced backlash for his video with Lee Naeun, and she is once again being accused of bullying and harassment. What are your thoughts?

A: The public criticism has been so harsh that I worry Lee Naeun might not be able to recover. Why should someone innocent face this level of blame? This isn’t about attacking one person—it’s about telling the truth so that such incidents don’t happen again.

Q: Having worked with April closely for years, do you think there was bullying or harassment?

A: In our industry, people often talk about which celebrities are difficult or kind. I’ve always said that there were no girls as kind as April. During their active years, they never complained or showed dissatisfaction, which was exceptional. There were times when Hyunjoo would grumble, and someone might tell her not to speak rudely, but there wasn’t an atmosphere of exclusion like, "Don’t hang out with her." It wasn’t bullying—it was more like she distanced herself, and people, including staff, didn’t bother her because they didn’t know how she would lose it.

Q: What do you mean by not knowing how she would lose it?

A: Honestly, even during their activities and when the allegations came to light in 2021, no one wanted to bother Hyunjoo. There was the incident where she missed a music show rehearsal just a week after their debut, and then she missed another the following year. Her brother also revealed that she attempted suicide. In such a situation, where one wrong move could set off a bomb, would anyone bully or isolate her? Everyone was careful and tried to console her. In fact, the members took extra care of her.

Q: Can you share more about what you remember during that time?

A: The company always placed Hyunjoo in the center. She knew she was the prettiest and that she had to be the prettiest. Among ourselves, we’d call that the “main character disease.” She also had a victim mentality, which inevitably led to conflicts. The members didn’t have personal phones and had to borrow staff members’ phones to contact family or friends, so we naturally became aware of some personal details. Based on the traces she left on the phones and her behavior, I thought Hyunjoo had no love for idol life or the other members.

April debuted in August 2015, and Hyunjoo stopped activities in May 2016 after missing a music show. She officially left the group in October of that year. In 2021, Hyunjoo claimed on social media that she had endured consistent physical and verbal abuse, harassment, and personal attacks from the members between 2014 and 2016.

Q: Even if Hyunjoo had issues with attitude or commitment, that doesn’t necessarily prove there wasn’t bullying.

A: The members joined the group at different times, so it seems far-fetched that she could have been bullied for three years. Particularly, Lee Naeun has been labeled as the “main perpetrator” in the shoe and tumbler incidents, which Hyunjoo mentioned as examples of harassment. However, Lee Naeun only joined three months before the debut and spent less than a year with Hyunjoo. Since Hyunjoo also left the dorms at one point, they didn’t spend that much time together. The claims of sustained bullying just don’t add up.

Q: Things could've happened in the dorms not at the filming sites.

A: That’s true—I don’t know everything. But Hyunjoo was the only one using a personal phone and was living at home with her family while the others stayed in the dorms. The other girls were envious of that. They had to get up early for schedules, and I’m sure they would have loved to stay at home and rest too. Despite this special treatment, Hyunjoo often arrived late or didn’t show up at all. Every day, people would ask, "When is Hyunjoo coming?" Still, the others treated her well, throwing her birthday parties and trying their best to keep her in the group.

Q: Why didn’t you speak up when the controversy broke out in 2021?

A: I wanted to, but the girls asked me not to. They said they didn’t want to attack Hyunjoo or cause trouble for others; they just felt so unfairly treated. Even in the midst of that, they were worrying about others. These kind girls don’t deserve the way people have labeled them as bullies. It’s heartbreaking.

Q: As someone who has observed this situation closely, what would you like to say?

A: These days, if an accusation is made, the public drags a person down to the ground. The accuser doesn’t have to prove anything, but the accused has to prove a negative, which is impossible. I hope we become a society where people are held accountable for their words and actions. This isn’t about blaming Hyunjoo—it’s about recognizing that everyone faces challenges, but we shouldn’t shift blame to others. Bullying and harassment accusations, especially in the entertainment industry, shouldn’t be used lightly or misused as a weapon.

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