"Garam is innocent": Kim Garam issue explained as fans rally behind former LE SSERAFIM member’s statement
Kim Garam has broken her silence for the first time since the school bullying controversy broke out and also after her exit from LE SSERAFIM and HYBE.
Garam shared the full report from the School Violence Committee regarding her 5th level disposition. She also released a statement maintaining her innocence in the school violence scandal. Garam, who doesn't have social media, uploaded the statement from her friend's Instagram profile.
After she uploaded the statement of her innocence, fans rallied behind her to show their support for her. The hashtags "Justice for Garam" and "Garam is innocent" were also shared on social media as fans showed support for their beloved singer.
The singer uploaded the school violence report and related documents through her friend, @y__urm Instagram account. The first document uploaded was a review of the incidents that led to the school violence committee.
The former LE SSERAFIM member started by apologizing that she has taken this long to tell her side of the story. She revealed that she has worked very hard for her dream and as the criticism surrounding her school violence scandal got bigger, she got more worried for her future.
In the statement, Garam reiterated that -
- She never hit anyone or used violence
- She has never been forced to transfer school
- She has never consumed alcohol or smoked
- She has never bullied or ostracized anyone
- She was and is just a normal student
The former idol further spoke up about what really happened that day, which caused the whole school violence scandal to blow out in such a manner.
The Autonomous Committee for Countermeasures against School Violence incident took place between March and May of middle school in 2018. Yoo Eun-seo had uploaded a photo of Kim Garam’s friend wearing only underwear and Yoo Eun-seo’s friends started badmouthing the singer's friend.
The former idol explained that she tried defending her friend and used cuss words in the process. She revealed that she didn’t think the issue would be blown so much out of proportion.
The former LE SSERAFIM member revealed that looking back, it was her duty to help the victim. She added that didn't know the seriousness of the situation because she thought their actions were appropriate.
Garam revealed that she prioritized her friendship at the time and did what a good friend would do in such a situation. She said that her methods may have been questionable but her heart was in the right place and she doesn’t regret it one bit. She shared that her parents taught her to prioritize a friend in need and she still follows that.
Further, Kim revealed that she is working hard to secure her future and that she really fought for her dreams to debut.
“Two weeks after my debut, it was like a dream for me, but I will remember it as a time that I will never forget.”
She ended her statement by thanking her fans and supporters for standing by her side throughout the ordeal.
Fan reactions to Kim Garam's statements
As soon as Kim Garam released a statement about her innocence, her fans took to social media to show support to her. In fact, they even demanded that HYBE and associated parties should re-examine the case and give the former LE SSERAFIM member the justice she deserved
Check out the fan reactions below:
Kim Garam’s fans feel she deserves more than just an apology.
Fans admired how well the former K-pop idol penned down her thoughts without sounding bullish or bitter about the incident. They believe that she definitely deserves a second chance.
HYBE releases a fresh response following Kim Garam’s statement
Following the Fearless singer's statement regarding her school violence case, HYBE has released a fresh response. They stated that they wouldn't be getting involved in any of this as the singer isn't a part of the company anymore.
In a statement shared by HYBE to Xportsnews, they shared their response to idol’s statement that was recently uploaded and said:
“As we have already terminated our exclusive contract with Kim Garam. We have nothing else to say because any additional comments are not appropriate [given the contractual situation].”
In addition to her statement, the idol's friend also revealed documents regarding the Autonomous Committee for Countermeasures against School Violence in which the idol and alleged victim Yoo Eun-seo was involved.
This statement revealed that the former LE SSERAFIM member was given six hours of special education per day. It added that her parents were also given five hours of special education.
As of writing this article, the Instagram post containing her statement has garnered over 49,001 likes. Meanwhile, the school violence report has garnered 40,071 likes on the platform.
The ex-idol's exclusive contract with Source Music was terminated on July 20 after being on hiatus for exactly two months. The agency, however, didn't give further details about her bullying case, which angered netizens.
Her fans believe HYBE hurriedly tried to brush it under the carpet and put an end to the situation by terminating her contract without giving any clarifications.
LE SSERAFIM's name is an anagram of the phrase "I'm Fearless." It now consists of five members: Sakura, Kim Chae-won, Huh Yun-jin, Kazuha, and Hong Eunchae after member Kim Garam was removed from the group.
They debuted on May 2, 2022, with the release of their first EP, Fearless.
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Madhur Dave