Former ARIAZ member Hyogyeong claims “Dating the agency CEO secured center position,” exposes dark side of K-pop

Former member of ARIAZ, Hyogyeong, has sparked widespread attention after sharing allegations about her experience in the idol industry, including claims of unfair internal practices, financial debt, and agency misconduct.

Hyogyeong recently uploaded a video to her personal YouTube channel titled 'As an Ex-Kpop Idol, Let's Talk About 'Sugar Daddies' (GRWM + What's in my bag),' where she spoke candidly about her time as an idol. The video, which combines a casual “Get Ready With Me” format with personal storytelling, quickly drew attention online due to the seriousness of her claims.

In the video, Hyogyeong alleged that the position of center within her group was not determined by talent, popularity, or performance ability. Instead, she claimed that internal relationships within the entertainment company influenced member positioning. She stated that a member who was allegedly romantically involved with the agency CEO was given the center role, adding that such situations were, in her view, “an open secret” within smaller entertainment agencies. She further suggested that fans would not have been aware of the reasons behind certain member placements.

Hyogyeong also discussed the financial structure she experienced during her idol career. She claimed that after approximately two and a half years of group activities, she received her first settlement statement, which reportedly showed only debt rather than income. According to her, various costs including pre-debut training, clothing, accommodation, and even daily meals were all charged to the members and recorded as debt.

“In the end, everything was calculated as debt under our names,” she said. “Idols are not treated as workers, but more like possessions.” She added that she had long hesitated to speak publicly about her experiences, but ultimately decided to share her story in order to prevent similar situations from happening to others in the industry. “I struggled for a long time about whether I should say this,” she said. “But I didn’t want more victims like me to appear.”

Hyogyeong debuted in October 2019 as part of the six-member girl group ARIAZ under Rising Entertainment, a subsidiary of STAR EMPIRE. The group disbanded in 2022 following various controversies and internal issues within the company.