Everything T-ARA’s Areum Accused Her Ex-Husband Of — A Recap

T-ARA member Areum has constantly been in the spotlight over the last few months after she started accusing her former husband, Kim Young Gul, of abusing her and her children. Areum laid out the accusations one at a time.

Here is a comprehensive overview of her allegations:

Child Abuse

In March 2024, Areum took to her personal social media account and posted about her ex-husband’s alleged abuse of their children. She claimed that Kim had frequently thrown their younger son, who was less than a year old, onto the bed. The older son was allegedly hit and kicked out of the house. She also accused Kim of spitting on the children’s faces and defecating on them. Along with these claims, Areum provided photographic evidence of bruises on both her sons’ bodies.

Areum’s Abuse

In the same month, Areum also accused Kim of abusing her. In a 5-page-long post, she detailed that during their marriage, she was emotionally and physically abused. Her ex-husband withheld financial support and abused her sexually and physically. These claims were also accompanied by some photographic evidence.

Then, one day in November 2021, he completely lost control of his temper. He pinned me down on the bed and ripped my clothes off, choking me and threatening to kill me—in front of our child watching. He also beat me enough to give me bruises around my nose. He also punched the bottom of my feet, and I couldn’t walk for a while.

— Areum

Forced Separation

Areum claimed that Kim had prevented her from taking her older son home in 2022 after the two had a fallout while she was pregnant with her second child. Eventually, Areum’s mother-in-law asked her to return home since watching the older child was becoming too much work for her to handle alone. However, when she went back, her husband stopped coming home, and from then on, for about the next four months, she lived with her mother-in-law, who would “gaslight” her.

Illegal Activities

Areum accused Kim of indulging in gambling and prostitution, adding that these habits predated their marriage.

Even when my first child was sick with meningitis, and I was at the hospital while carrying my second child, he was out drinking at an adult establishment. That made me so angry. If it hadn’t been for the law, I wouldn’t have left him alone. But I want to punish him in the court of law, so I’m holding back. Also, when I was pregnant with my second child, he was not coming home because he was sleeping with a prostitute. He kept getting mad at me, saying he didn’t have any money because his business was struggling. And he cursed at me in front of his mother, calling me a “crazy b*tch” and getting physically violent with me. His mom even called the police on him once. Through all those times, he was lying about not having any money to spend for me.

— Areum

While Areum had expressed her desire to take legal action against her ex-husband, the recent developments in the case have taken a sharp U-turn. In June, Dispatch reported that the police were investigating Areum for child abuse after clearing Kim Young Gul of any wrongdoing. After she notified the police, Kim reported a complaint against Areum in retaliation, accusing her of child abuse and neglect. The police reportedly found evidence to back his claims and forwarded the case to prosecutors. Areum and her mother were also reportedly handed a restraining order, barring them from their home and the child’s preschool.

You can read about the recent developments in better detail here.