Korean idol, 32, reportedly attempts suicide, reveals she was rescued 2 hours later

Kwon Mina, a former member of K-pop girl group AOA, confessed to attempting suicide in a series of Instagram posts that were later removed.

Continues to be haunted by past incidents

On Jan. 1, the 32-year-old took to Instagram to post a lengthy message in which she described ongoing psychological distress and said she felt deeply wronged by past incidents that continue to haunt her.

"In all the incidents and situations I was truly wronged, I was so wronged that I still dream every day of the same scenes. I'm suffering."

According to South Korean news outlet OSEN, Kwon alluded to unresolved legal and personal struggles in the post, saying that while some aspects of past abuse had been acknowledged, other claims could not be substantiated due to a lack of evidence.

"I have no material evidence, no CCTV, no recordings, so not only regarding that group's case but also as a victim of rape and injury that has been ongoing for four years now, the rape is acknowledged but the injury can't be proven," she wrote.

She ended the message by thanking those who had treated her with kindness, and expressed hope that everyone would continue to live happy and peaceful lives.

Attempted suicide

Two hours later, Kwon made a second post, revealing that she had survived a suicide attempt, OSEN reported.

She described drifting in and out of awareness before being rescued.

"I lost consciousness.. if they had left me a little longer, I really could have kept my promise today, but suddenly I heard some noise and they were shaking me."

At the time of writing, both posts have been deleted from her Instagram account.

Shares details of past trauma

Following the posts about her suicide attempt, Kwon shared another series of posts recounting a series of traumatic experiences spanning her childhood and career.

According to OSEN, Kwon said she was born into an unstable household marked by domestic violence, and that her parents divorced after a particularly severe incident that happened when she was just 6-years-old.

After the divorce, she grew up in poverty with her mother and sister, and had to work part-time from an early age to support her family as her father refused to provide child support.

She also revealed that she was a victim of sexual assault as a teenager, an ordeal that she had kept hidden for years to avoid causing distress to her mother.

However, this later reached a breaking point and led to an earlier suicide attempt.

Kwon eventually moved to Seoul in an attempt to rebuild her life and became a trainee.

However, she shared that throughout her training period, she endured verbal abuse and physical violence, and this continued even after her debut.

In 2014, she learned that her estranged father was terminally ill.

She said she struggled to grieve openly while continuing her work commitments, and was reprimanded when she broke down.

In fear of being scolded, she did not visit her father in his final moments and was unable to say goodbye to him before his death.

Kwon revealed that the persistent harassment eventually pushed her to a breaking point, leading to another suicide attempt.

She added that during contract renewal discussions, she had sought an apology for past mistreatment but was met with resistance, prompting her departure from AOA.

History

Kwon left the group in 2019 and pursued a career in acting.

According to The Straits Times, in July 2020, she alleged that she had been bullied for a decade by AOA's former leader Shin Jimin.

These claims eventually led to Shin's departure from the group.

In 2021, Kwon was also embroiled in a cheating scandal, though she later announced that she had broken up with the man involved.

Her most recent contract with another agency, Moden Berry Korea, reportedly ended after just one month.

She is currently preparing for her first solo fan meeting in Seoul.

Helplines

If you or someone you know are in mental distress, here are some hotlines you can call to seek help, advice, or just a listening ear:

National mindline.sg Hotline: 1771 (24 hours)

National mindline.sg WhatsApp: 66691771 (24 hours)

SOS 24-hour Hotline: 1-767

Singapore Association for Mental Health: 1800-283-7019

Centre for Domestic Employees: 1800 225 5233 (24 hours)

Foreign Domestic Worker Association for Social Support and Training: 1800 339 4357 (24 hours)

HOME: 1800 797 7977 or +65 9787 3122 (WhatsApp / Viber / SMS)

Top photos via @new.kma/Instagram