Former AOA member ChoA directly revealed the reason for her departure from the team.
On the 20th, a new video titled 'Is it because of BLACKPINK and TWICE?' was uploaded on the YouTube channel 'This is the real final.'
On this day, guest ChoA from AOA said, "I left AOA due to burnout, and during that time, Soyul got married. She also had two children, but I did nothing during that period," adding, "I was in a period of contemplating how to open my second chapter."
She said, "I didn't leave thinking about retirement, but many people think of it as retirement. I gave up on life for three years thinking, 'Should I retire like this?' Fortunately, many people showed interest and called me, so I resumed activities, and now I want to release an album."
Earlier, ChoA debuted with AOA in 2012 and officially left the team in June 2017.
ChoA explained the reason for leaving the team, saying, "I dreamed of being an idol and debuted, but it seems that no matter how hard I try, it won't work anymore. And just then, BLACKPINK and TWICE came out. With new artists appearing like those friends, I felt, 'This is my peak.'"
She continued, "I felt like no more effort would make a difference here. I decided to leave while the applause was still there." Crayon Pop's Soyul analyzed, "It seems she is a style who thinks alone and makes decisions alone."
ChoA admitted this, saying, "That's right. So the members probably won't like me." She added, "But now, mentally, I think it would be difficult to push further. I wanted to find 'my happiness.' At that time, the bestseller was 'The Courage to Be Disliked.' I had a tremendous amount of courage to be disliked. Even if I went back now, I think I would still leave."
Additionally, regarding the marriage rumors that surfaced after her departure, ChoA said, "Since I left the team at a time when I was doing well, it seems people found it hard to understand. 'Is there a reason to quit other than marriage?' This led to ongoing rumors. I am not married. I hope to get married."
[Photo] OSEN DB, YouTube capture
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