A former member of T-Ara, Lee A-reum, who was reported Wednesday to be unconscious after a suicide attempt earlier the same day, shared news of her recovery and warned that she will take legal action against defamatory accusations in an online post Friday.

The former idol thanked her fans and apologized for making them worry about her in an Instagram post with a photo of her in a hospital gown uploaded Friday.

“I remembered my loved ones, children, family and friends at the brink of death,” Lee said.


“After realizing I might never see them again, I desperately wanted to live, so I held on and regained consciousness. The hospital said it was a miracle I survived.”

Lee also addressed recent accusations against her that she and her current boyfriend asked for money for a prior hospital treatment unrelated to her recent suicide attempt.

Lee Jin-ho, a former reporter turned YouTuber, revealed text messages and phone calls allegedly made between the singer's boyfriend, only referred by his surname Seo, and one of her Instagram followers.

In the text messages and phone calls, the man alleged to be Seo asks for money to pay for Lee A-reum’s hospital treatment along with claims that she is pregnant, before sending a bank account number.

The YouTuber then claimed that Seo, in a phone call with him, said he had asked for money from followers once or twice at the request of Lee A-reum, but that someone had impersonated him for certain text messages. Seo reportedly said that he was “also a victim” and that he did not know if he had been hacked, but had filed lawsuits.

“What this YouTuber has said is not true,” Lee A-reum said in her post on Friday.

“The man is creating victims by inflating stories without knowing the inner details. He is harming not only me but also my innocent boyfriend to make money. I believe a lot of celebrities have been hurt and felt wronged by that YouTuber and by other malicious commentators. I have decided to take immediate legal action and file lawsuits.”

The former idol had claimed that someone was impersonating her to extort money from her family and acquaintances in a post on Saturday. It was deleted on the same day.

“It is true that I am currently hospitalized but I do not have any financial problems,” the post had read. She said she had reported the incident to the police and hoped that no more damage would be done. She later said to a news outlet that someone had not stolen her phone but had hacked it.

A person accused Lee A-reum of asking her for money in a comment on the post. The person claimed she had received a photo of the former idol after asking for confirmation that it wasn't an impersonator.

The former T-Ara member is currently going through a divorce from her husband, who she has publicly accused of committing domestic violence against her and her children. She announced her divorce and her plans to marry her current partner in December of last year.

It was reported on Wednesday that she was receiving hospital treatment after an apparent suicide attempt. Seo uploaded a post on Instagram that day saying she had not gained consciousness, and that he was “praying for Areum’s recovery."

If you or someone you know is feeling emotionally distressed or struggling with thoughts of suicide, LifeLine Korea can be contacted at 1588-9191 or the Crisis Counseling Center at 1577-0199. The Seoul Global Center offers English-language counseling, contact 02-2075-4180 (+1) to arrange a session. Other international helplines can be found at www.befrienders.org.

BY KIM JU-YEON [kim.juyeon2@joongang.co.kr]