Some of the negative rumors circulating about Kim Garam LE SSERAFIM were allegedly false, such as insulting IVE and making lewd comments about V BTS. This is the trigger.
Kim Garam LE SSERAFIM stumbled into controversy even before his official debut. However, some negative rumors circulating about him were allegedly false, such as insulting IVE and making lewd comments about V BTS (Bangtan Boys).
Due to the negative rumors that have surfaced, many netizens have asked HYBE to remove Kim Garam from the lineup, otherwise they will boycott the debut. However fans have taken a closer look at the accusations made against Kim Garam and found some suspicious details.
As soon as Kim Garam's debut teaser was released, posts revealing his bad past were shared on online communities by his former classmates. He was accused of bullying, speaking inappropriately, underage drinking and smoking, and others.
Pre-debut photos said to be Kim Garam are constantly being shared. In a controversial photo, she poses for a photo in front of a board full of sexually suggestive images.
Based on another board photo, Kim Garam and his friends have come under fire for allegedly insulting IVE. Previously, there were rumors that he had been considered for the IVE lineup but to no avail. But HYBE denied it.
It didn't stop there, Kim Garam was also accused of making sexual comments against V, saying that he would "sleep" with the BTS member after debut.
In addition, Kim Garam was also accused of badmouthing Jang Won Young IVE and his own group member, Miyawaki Sakura. Even though HYBE and Source Music have denied all these accusations, many netizens still choose to believe the accusers with photo evidence.
However, fans noticed some suspicious details in this whole controversy. The blackboard was supposed to be taken at Kim Garam High School, but he is currently a registered student at Seoul Performing Arts School.
Besides, it's hard to believe a trainee would reveal the unreleased group name to his friends because that would violate company rules.
All the accounts that exposed Kim Garam were also suspicious. Among them, there was an account that was newly opened but quickly attracted thousands of engagements in just a few minutes.
Apart from the yearbook photo with his name on the bottom, the other photos claiming to be Garam did not show his face clearly. Some don't even look like him.
With today's advanced editing tools, hobbyists think such photo evidence can be easily faked. One fan even said that the girl in some photos who is said to be Garam is actually trainee Yoon Soobin, who is rumored to be a member of LE SSEARAFIM.
In a pann post written by a witness to Kim Garam's problematic behavior after HYBE spoke up, fans noticed that it was uploaded at 12:52 p.m. KST, while HYBE's statement was released at 1:59 p.m. KST on the same date. The question arose as to why the post was shared before HYBE addressed the issue.
Currently, Kim Garam will still be debuting in LE SSERAFIM. Therefore, the group's fans are very worried that the other members will be affected. Moreover, if Garam's scandal was proven to be true, the other members might become the next victims.
The argument that points to many inconsistencies in the Kim Garam case once again stirred up public opinion. While many people defended it, others said they were intentionally making Garam look good. What do you think? (wk/chus)
