Ex-girl group member disgraced by bullying rumors eyes comeback

A screenshot from singer Soojin's performance video posted on Wednesday. (BRD Entertainment)

Former (G)I-dle member Soojin is gearing up for her solo comeback, two years since she left the girl group due to bullying allegations.

Soojin, whose real name is Seo Soo-jin, on Wednesday posted a performance video on her newly launched social media platforms. Titled "Black Forest," the black-and-white clip showed Soojin dancing gracefully to an instrumental tune.

Whether the song pertains to the K-pop star's new album was not stated, but the video clearly indicates she is nearing her comeback. The video comes 10 days after local news outlet News1 exclusively reported about her solo debut under novice local label BRD Communications in October.

Soojin has been cautiously taking steps for a comeback since this summer. She opened her own Instagram account in June, and the dance clip dropped on Wednesday was the first public post made by Soojin on the BRD's social media accounts.

Although much still remains undisclosed about her forthcoming activities, global fans of the singer are already abuzz about her return. In just 17 hours of the release, the video posted on X -- formerly known as Twitter -- racked up 1.8 million views and over 2,000 comments, with most of them welcoming her return.

But not everyone greeted the scandal-ridden singer, especially as she returns with her bullying allegations yet to be resolved.

K-pop singer Soojin, a former (G)I-dle member. (Cube Entertainment)

Soojin first faced a school bullying accusation in February 2021, when someone claiming to be a family member of a victim revealed online that her sister had been harassed by Soojin in middle school. The singer denied the allegation, but it snowballed quickly after actor Seo Shin-ae also claimed she had been bullied for two years by Soojin at school.

In August that year, Soojin left (G)I-dle and eventually ended her contract with the band's agency Cube Entertainment in March 2022.

She filed a suit against the first accuser for spreading false rumors, but the police eventually dropped the case. In September 2022, she released an apology through her attorney, saying she will close the case as there was a lack of evidence to prove against the accusation.

Soojin first debuted as a member of the six-piece girl group (G)I-dle in May 2018. On the sideline of the group's successful career, Soojin garnered her own solid fandom with her enchanting performances and onstage charisma. After her departure, (G)I-dle has continued as a quintet and recently made its US debut with the English-langauge EP "Heat."