Young Tak's School Days Photo Under Suspicion

The 2021 music industry was marred by numerous incidents and accidents despite the COVID-19 pandemic. Various issues, from bullying within groups, school violence, and abuse of power controversies to drug use, assault, and plagiarism, emerged, disappointing the public.

The revelations by Mina, a former member of AOA, were one of the most shocking events in the music industry this year. Mina revealed on social media that she left AOA due to Jimin's bullying and even attempted suicide. Jimin drew public anger with an insincere apology and faced backlash from fans when it was revealed she had threatened Mina with a knife. Her agency, FNC Entertainment, removed Jimin from the group. Despite posting messages hinting at self-harm and suicide after her revelations, Mina is currently recovering and regaining her health. This incident has made AOA's activities virtually impossible and is also affecting the other members' individual activities.

Irene of Red Velvet suffered a critical blow to her image due to an abuse of power controversy. The issue began when a staff member claimed on social media that Irene had abused her power, and the controversy grew as many people agreed. Irene directly apologized to the staff member and posted an apology on social media, and her agency, SM Entertainment, promised to prevent recurrence, bringing the situation to a temporary close. However, Red Velvet canceled their scheduled events and ended the year without official activities.

Singer Park Kyung gained attention for a music chart manipulation controversy, but was later shocked by the revelation that he was a perpetrator of school violence. A middle school classmate of Park Kyung revealed that he had been a victim of school violence during their school days, and Park Kyung admitted to it and posted a letter of reflection. Once hailed as a "Park Kyung martyr" and receiving support, he lost credibility due to the school violence controversy and enlisted in the military.

BoA, known as the "Star of Asia," was investigated by prosecutors for allegedly smuggling psychotropic drugs, including Zolpidem, into Korea from Japan. The drugs were discovered by customs officials when she attempted to bring them in under the name of a domestic employee. The agency explained it was an employee's mistake. BoA claimed she brought the medication, which she had taken during her activities in Japan without side effects, and the prosecution is reviewing whether to indict her. This incident, which occurred during her 20th-anniversary activities, has become a significant stain on BoA's career.