"I think I just endured it": Jeon Somi opens up about her being a victim of school bullying

On July 13, 2023, the K-pop soloist, Jeon Somin recently appeared on a new YouTube variety show titled, Song Yoon-ah by PDC, and the idol was the first guest for the same, In the talk that she had with the interviewer, she touched upon several topics related to her time with other K-pop idols, her debut period, her childhood memories, etc.

Gradually, the conversation snowballed into the interviewer asking if her thoughts on how she sees herself had changed from when she was a child. This question was brought up because she is a biracial person, half-Korean and half-American. Jeon Somi brought up a childhood instance from her school that alluded to her being bullied.

I think I just endured it.

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K-pop soloist, Jeon Somi, tears up talking about her as a victim of school bullying

Many topics were addressed as the interviewer and Jeon Somi talked while indulging in some food. However, the instance that triggered the story of her experience of school bullying was when the two were talking about her debut in 2019 as a soloist and how many multicultural artists started to debut and be influenced by Somi given the success, fame, and love she's received throughout her career.

This is where the interviewer asked,

So over the years, did your thoughts change a lot compared to when you were a child?

After the question, the idol gathered up memories of her as a child, living in Korea as a biracial person.

When I was a kid, I didn’t care much about it until I transferred to a Korean Elementary School. At first, everybody said I looked ike a doll becasue it was their first time meeting a biracial kid. Everyone was friendly, but thae day after I transferred, there was a student election and the entire class told me to go participate.

Jeon Somi continued,

For the two days, I was the most popular kid at my new school. So I participated without really knowing what it was all about and I won with the most votes. But then there was this girl who prepared so hard and I think she got really frustrated about the result. All her hardwork went to waste becasue a newcomer like me and she began to bully me allong with her friends.

The idol gave a few examples of the bullying she had to endure on a daily basis,

She began making me an outcast which continued until the first semester of 6th grade for three years, since 3rd grade. They would take advantage of me when they needed me then remove my desk elsewhere when they were done. Even ripped up my library card or throw my shoes in the trash. And it got worse day by day, by same group of friends.

This is when the interviewer, Song Yoon-ah, asked if Jeon Somi asked for help from her parents or her teacher. She replied,

We had a journal assignment and I would write everything that had happened for the teacher to read and everytime I did it the teacher would try to give advive or listen to me whenever he or she could. But there wasn't much I could do about it.

The narrative becomes all the more heartbreaking when the interviewer asked her what helped her to get through those times and Jeon Somi replied,

Well...I think I just endured I always whine to my mom that I didn't want to go to school or that I wanted to get plastic surgery so I could look like a Korean girl. I said a lots of those kinds of stuff. See? I thought got over it but we started talking about it, I'm tearing up again. I guess it still hurts.

However, Jeon Somi found a solution for the same around the second semester of the 6th-grade academic year. She said,

I decided to change during the 2nd semester. I went to up to another girl in the group who couldn't really fit in there, and I said, "Listen, I've had enough. I don't know what I did to deserve this but can't we just be friends?" I told her everything face to face and that slowly spread which led to the group to think about their actions. In the end, things got resolved and luckily I didn't have to finish my school year as an outcast.

The interviewer sympathized with Jeon Somi, acknowledging her ability to handle the issue on her own in a thoughtful manner. She also praised her for not giving up till the end and commended her for growing up from an outcast to one of the most beloved singers in Korea.