Former member of the girl group T-ara, Lee Ah-reum, received a suspended prison sentence in the first trial for borrowing money from fans and acquaintances and failing to repay it.
According to the legal community on the 16th, Judge Lee Nuri of the 9th Criminal Division of the Suwon District Court in Ansan sentenced Lee Ah-reum and his boyfriend A (who is in custody) to six months in prison with a two-year suspended sentence and one year and six months in prison, respectively. The prosecution and Mr. A appealed the first trial ruling.
Lee Ah-reum and Mr. A are accused of borrowing about 37 million won from three acquaintances, including fans, and failing to repay it. The victims filed a complaint with the police between March and May of last year, claiming that they "borrowed money citing personal circumstances and have not repaid it to date."
Lee Ah-reum joined the girl group T-ara in 2012 and left the team the following year in 2013.