On June 15, a new video was uploaded on entertainer Ji Suk-jin's YouTube channel.
While Ji Suk-jin and Choa spoke together, Choa reminisced about her departure from AOA, saying, "I took about three years off after leaving the group. It wasn't that I intended to rest, but..."
Bitterly smiling, she continued, "When I decided to leave AOA, I thought of it like quitting a job at a company. But many didn't take it that way. A lot of them view a group as a family."
In response, Ji Suk-jin commented, "AOA fans must have been quite upset and criticized you a lot," adding, "The public also must have probably thought, 'Choa is great on shows and everything. Why did she leave? Was there an issue?'"
Choa admitted, "I was the problem—my feelings were the problem. When I left, it was because I wanted to pursue my own path, but I ended up receiving far more criticism than I expected. I was already mentally drained, so I spent nearly three years mostly lying in bed and doing nothing after leaving."
Ji Suk-jin also added, "It sounds like those malicious comments affected you a lot, but remember there are many more people supporting you."
He continued to comfort her, saying, "The people who write malicious comments are just a small minority. They seem numerous because they are very vocal, but most people aren't focused on spreading negativity. They aren't free enough to waste their time hating, you know."
Choa, who revealed she was struggling with depression, left AOA in June 2017.
She returned to the industry in September 2020, launching her own YouTube channel.
(Credit= '지편한세상 [Jeeseokjin World]' YouTube, FNC Entertainment)
(SBS Star)