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Legendary K-Pop girl group SeeYa revealed shocking details about alleged mistreatment by their former agency.
Recently reuniting after 15 years on a YouTube video for Korean actress Ha Ji Young‘s channel, SeeYa held a fan meeting where they reconnected with fans. During the event, Ha brought up a past story about the members surviving on cereal and instant ramen.
SeeYa member Lee Boram clarified that it wasn’t due to being too busy to eat, but from having a lack of money. She revealed they were even kicked out of a restaurant because their agency had failed to pay for meals, with unpaid tabs piling up for three months. Agencies often open tabs with restaurants near dorms or companies for idols to eat at.
She added that despite public perception, they earned little to no money at the time. SeeYa was one of the most popular groups at that time.
“People would tell me to treat them since I was ‘making a lot,’ but I wasn’t earning anything. We really had no money. At home, all we had to eat was cereal and cup ramen.”
Member Nam Gyuri, who later went on to become a successful actress, also described the stark contrast between their public image and real lives. While traveling for events, they would eat cheap meals on the go, yet still be recognized by fans. Back at their dorm, they dealt with poor living conditions, even mentioning ants crawling on newspaper-covered floors as they ate instant noodles. She added that such harsh conditions affected their confidence as artists, saying they became emotionally worn down.
“The gap was so extreme. When we went around doing events all day, we would mix rice into ramen at rest stops and eat in a rush, grabbing pieces of bread and triangle kimbap on the go. But once we went out into the world, people would chase after us. When we came back to the dorm, we would lay out newspapers, there were ants crawling around, and we would hurriedly fill our stomachs with cup ramen on the floor. The gap was so big that while we should have developed pride as artists, but because of that environment, we became weak.”
The group also revealed they were subjected to manipulation that led to internal conflict. As individual activities increased, misunderstandings grew. Lee Boram shared that someone had spread false information between members, causing distrust and tension within the group.
SeeYa was a South Korean girl group that debuted in 2006 under Core Contents Media, quickly gaining recognition for their powerful vocals and emotional ballads. Known for hits like “Love’s Greeting” and “Shoes,” the group achieved strong digital success and became one of the standout vocal groups of their era. Despite lineup changes and industry challenges, they remained active until their disbandment in 2011. Years later, SeeYa reunited in 2020 through a TV project, rekindling public interest in their music.