APRIL's Lee Naeun returns to acting after a two-year break since bullying controversy

Former APRIL's member Lee Na-eun, after a 2-year hiatus, is making a comeback with SBS's new drama "Chaebol X Detective". The girl group APRIL was previously embroiled in controversy for bullying former member Lee Hyun-joo, which eventually led to the group's disbandment and subsequently caused Lee Na-eun to take a break from entertainment activities for over two years.

Today, according to the TV station's insider, Lee Na-eun will star in "Chaebol X Detective". The story portrays the growth of a naive third-generation chaebol who becomes a police officer and gradually matures, learning to live in harmony with former adversaries and searching for true love.

"Chaebol X Detective," starring actors Ahn Bo Hyun, who recently broke up with BLACKPINK member Jisoo, and Park Ji-hyun, is expected to premiere in January next year. Lee Na-eun will make a cameo appearance in episodes 9 to 10 of "Chaebol X Detective," marking her official return to the entertainment industry.

Before this, Lee Naeun had faced criticism during 2020 due to a bullying controversy within her girl group APRIL. A former member, Lee Hyunjoo, who left the group a little over a year after debut, accused the members of bullying her. Lee Naeun and the other members denied these accusations. However, Lee Naeun eventually stepped down from her role in the SBS drama "Model Taxi".

This dispute even escalated to a courtroom battle. At the time, the prosecution stated that there certainly were general interpersonal relationship issues within the group, but it was challenging to clearly determine if this was an isolated case, and thus difficult to ascertain the truth. In the end, a decision was made not to proceed with the transfer.