Ryu Hwa-young

Inkigayo wardrobe malfunction scandal

A wardrobe malfunction occurred during the January 29, 2012 episode of Inkigayo in which Ryu Hwa-young accidentally exposed her breast during her dance solo. A screencap made its rounds online through Korean media portals and SNS services. JoongAng Ilbo said that the show was airing live when the incident occurred.^[1][2] Core Contents Media issued an official statement about the incident: "T-ara's stage was done completely live, and it was a live broadcast accident. There weren't any problems during their rehearsal [...]. Before the fact that she's a celebrity, she's still a minor, so we hope that people will remember that she's a young girl."^[3] SBS issued an apology statement.^[3]

Bullying and legal issues

On July 28, 2012, several members of T-ara posted tweets that were purportedly seen to be derisive references to Ryu.^[4] An official announcement regarding these tweets and a "major announcement about T-ara" was made July 30, which revealed Ryu would no longer be a member of the group.^[5] Following the announcement of her abrupt contract termination with Core Contents Media, rumors of her experiencing severe bullying by other members of T-ara surfaced throughout the web and the media, which sparked intensive public interest and controversy.^[6][7] Some members of the public strongly believed that Ryu was mistreated by the other members of T-ara and her agency, and an outcry by T-ara's fan community led to the scheduling of a shut down, as well as the suspension of the members' activities, resulting in a huge blow to the group's popularity.^[8][9]

In 2017, a former T-ara staff member claimed that Ryu and her sister Ryu Hyo-young were the actual bullies in the scandal that plagued T-ara in 2012.^[10][11][12] Soon afterwards, more staffers came forwards with accounts that Ryu had been disrespectful to the other members as well as stylists, and claimed she had faked how severe an injury was in order to get more sympathy. Ryu initially denied the rumors, but later admitted parts were true. Following intense backlash, including a flood of negative messages on her social media and a reduction of her role in Hello, My Twenties! 2 to a cameo, Ryu temporarily deleted her Instagram account.^[13][14][15]

In 2024, former agency chief Kim Kwang-soo reignited the controversy and remarked: "T-ara members did nothing wrong." In response, Ryu countered that she was indeed subjected to physical and verbal abuse, had evidence to support her claims, but kept silent so she and her twin sister could be released from the agency contracts.^[16]

1. 티아라 화영 노출·BAP 무대 함몰...'인기가요' 질타. JoongAng Ilbo (in Korean). Archived from the original on June 19, 2013. Retrieved October 9, 2012.
2. 티아라 화영 노출사고, SBS '인기가요' 제작진에 '불똥'. The Dong-A Ilbo (in Korean). January 30, 2012. Retrieved October 9, 2012.
3. "Core Contents Media and "Inkigayo" PD Apologizes about Hwayoung's Incident". soompi. Archived from the original on October 27, 2016. Retrieved June 5, 2012.
4. "T-ara may be turning on Hwa-young". Korea JoongAng Daily. July 30, 2012. Archived from the original on February 28, 2015. Retrieved August 22, 2017.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
5. Cite error: The named reference auto was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
6. Lee, Rachel (August 1, 2012). "Bullying scandals hit K-pop groups". The Korea Times. Archived from the original on August 7, 2020. Retrieved February 28, 2015.
7. "T-ara faces backlash due to Hwa-young's drop out". 10Asia. July 30, 2012. Archived from the original on November 25, 2017. Retrieved August 22, 2017.
8. "T-ara's Eunjung dismissed from drama". Korea JoongAng Daily. August 24, 2012. Archived from the original on August 22, 2017. Retrieved August 22, 2017.
9. "T-ara's performance falls flat with fans". Korea JoongAng Daily. September 11, 2012. Archived from the original on August 22, 2017. Retrieved August 22, 2017.
10. 효영 측 "협박 메시지? 화영 걱정하는 언니로서 나선 것" [공식입장]. Entertainment Naver (in Korean). February 9, 2017. Archived from the original on January 13, 2018. Retrieved January 12, 2018.
11. IATFB (February 9, 2017). "MBKE says T-ara/Hwayoung/Hyoyoung reports are the truth, but says it's not welcome". Asianjunkie. Archived from the original on January 19, 2024. Retrieved January 12, 2018.
12. [단독] "피해자 코스프레"...티아라 前 스태프, 화영·효영 자매 폭로 [전문포함]. TV Report (in Korean). February 9, 2017. Archived from the original on January 13, 2018. Retrieved January 12, 2018.
13. [단독] "거의, 봉합 직전이었다"...티아라 사태, 3박4일의 전말 네이버 TV연예. Naver News (in Korean). Archived from the original on March 11, 2017. Retrieved May 6, 2017.
14. "진흙탕 개싸움?"...류화영, 악플러 향해 대놓고 '디스'. Nate News (in Korean). Archived from the original on July 30, 2021. Retrieved May 6, 2017.
15. Gil, Hye-sung (February 13, 2017). [단독]티아라 지연, 3년만 솔로음반 잠정 중단..발매도 연기, 왜. Star News (in Korean). Archived from the original on February 13, 2017. Retrieved May 6, 2017.
16. KTimes (November 12, 2024). "T-ara bullying controversy reignited with Hwayoung's counter revelations". Korea Times. Archived from the original on August 15, 2025. Retrieved September 27, 2026.