Roh Ji-sun (노지선), a former member of the K-pop girl group fromis_9, recently shared the emotional struggles of her past as an idol. She revealed not only the turmoil caused by a vote manipulation scandal on an audition program but also the financial hardship she faced after leaving her group, which led her to take out a 3 million won (approximately NT$60,000) cash advance on her credit card to survive. However, the revelation has sparked a polarized reaction online, with some sympathizing with her difficult journey and others questioning, "If you don't have money, why not get a part-time job instead of borrowing?" The unexpected debate has since gained traction.
On October 11, Roh Ji-sun shared her untold story in a YouTube video titled "Advice from a Life Senior Who Transitioned from an Idol, Heart-to-Heart." She had participated in Mnet's audition program Idol School, ultimately debuting in first place. However, her idol career was overshadowed when the show's production team was later exposed for manipulating voting results.
Roh revealed she was deeply shocked when she learned about the vote manipulation. "I originally thought I earned first place through my own efforts, but then I was told that wasn't the case, which made me feel completely dishonorable and very confused," she confessed. She admitted that even though others were at fault, any statement she made could lead to headlines featuring her name, and she worried about causing further harm to other contestants, ultimately choosing to remain silent.
She also stated that at the time, quitting was not an option. On one hand, she was bound by her agency contract, and on the other, she genuinely loved being an idol. Therefore, despite her inner turmoil, she chose to persevere.
However, idol life was not as glamorous as she had imagined. Roh expressed her desire for the public to see her inner self, stage performance, and songwriting abilities, but instead, the evaluations she received often focused on her appearance, such as "She's pretty," "She has a great figure," or "If she performs well, I might have a chance to date her." She also revealed that after performing on stage, she once saw someone deliberately edit a video to emphasize her chest, which deeply saddened her. However, considering she was part of a group, she felt she couldn't prioritize her individual feelings and tried her best to suppress her emotions.
In 2024, after her exclusive contract with PLEDIS Entertainment expired, Roh left the group and transitioned into a beauty content creator, starting a new chapter in her life. However, it was only after shedding her idol identity that she truly experienced the harsh realities of life. Roh revealed that she had been an idol until the age of 28, with the company handling many aspects of her daily life. But after leaving the group, she suddenly had no job and no income, making even basic living a struggle.
She stated that at the time, she didn't want to ask her parents or brother for money again and tried to find loan options herself. However, because she had no job and lacked stable income, she couldn't get a loan. She said helplessly, "When I used to perform, the company would arrange everything, so I could get by. But when I couldn't even get a loan, I really didn't know what to do."
Fortunately, she discovered that she could get funds through a credit card cash advance, so she borrowed 3 million won as an emergency measure. She admitted that at the time, she didn't realize how terrifying high interest rates were, only thinking, "Anyway, if I get 3 million won, it should last me three or four months."
Unexpectedly, this became the beginning of another nightmare. Roh revealed that after her first loan, her credit card limit increased, so she continued to borrow money to repay the previous 3 million won debt. This cycle of 'robbing Peter to pay Paul' caused her debt to snowball, growing larger and larger.
It wasn't until her brother, who was preparing for his wedding, extended a helping hand and lent her money that she had the opportunity to gradually pay off her debts. Roh stated that it took her about a year after leaving the group to finally pay off all her credit card debt and the money she owed her brother.
However, after this confession was revealed, online reactions were quite divided. Some fans defended her, arguing that the working environment and income situation in the idol industry are not as glamorous as outsiders imagine. Others lamented the pressure she endured during her group activities and how difficult life became only after she left.
But many netizens were unimpressed, criticizing her financial management. They bluntly stated, "If you don't have money, you can work part-time at Coupang. Why is a loan the first thing you think of?" Some even cited examples of celebrities who have taken on part-time jobs when facing financial difficulties, such as actress Choi Kang-hee (최강희) and a former member of the boy group TAESAJA (태사자), arguing that even celebrities can support themselves with part-time work when in trouble, and should not easily take out high-interest loans.
In response to the public discussion, Roh posted again on October 12, explaining that she tried to condense 15 years of experience, from age 14 to 29, into a video of just over 20 minutes. She noted that with limited time, it was impossible to explain everything clearly, and she never intended to disclose everything without reservation from the beginning.
She wrote emotionally that this period of her life contained both beautiful moments and less pleasant memories, where she met people she was grateful for and others she found difficult to understand. It also took her a long time to realize that "wanting to make myself more beautiful because I like it" and "having to maintain a certain appearance to please others" are two completely different things.
Roh concluded by saying that she has changed now, starting to re-examine everything she once took for granted, and gradually realizing that some things were not as correct as she thought. Although there is still much she doesn't understand, she will continue to change. "Even so, I still feel very happy," she said, seemingly revealing that after shedding her idol halo, she is striving to find her true self.
