Kpop Review

T-ARA Celebrates 15th Anniversary With Fan Meeting — Why Did Jiyeon Not Attend?

T-ARA held a fan sign in China to celebrate their 15th anniversary, but their most popular member, Jiyeon, was sadly not in attendance. Here’s why.

2024 is proving to be the year veteran K-pop groups reunited! The four members of 2NE1 have been confirmed to be planning a world tour and comeback by YG Entertainment. On the other hand, KARA has just released a digital single, and now T-ARA also plans to reunite to celebrate the 15th anniversary of their debut.

Recently, T-ARA members Qri, Eunjung, and Hyomin, flew to Shanghai, China, for an intimate fan meeting to celebrate the group’s 15th debut anniversary. A large number of fans attended the event to interact with their idols.

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Despite being in their 40s, they looked like they hadn’t aged a day since their active period. Their visuals shined even in candid footage. During the fan meeting, T-ARA spent a lot of time chatting and signing autographs for the fans

However, many couldn’t help but feel sad that the group’s most popular member, Jiyeonm did not attend the event. Some speculate that her husband’s recent controversy has forced the idol to limit her public appearances. In early June, Jiyeon’s husband, baseball player Hwang Jae Gyun, was involved in a physical altercation with an opponent at the stadium. His actions earned him immense backlash from the public.

A post shared by instagram

A post shared by instagram

As a result, Jiyeon has also faced backlash. With Hwang Jae Gyun placing his social media accounts on private, netizens turned their anger towards Jiyeon, leaving malicious comments on her YouTube channel and Instagram account. Given the sensitive situation, Jiyeon may be staying out of the spotlight due to the scandal, despite wanting to promote with T-ARA.

In mid-May, T-ARA hinted at a reunion project, sparking excitement among fans. Hyomin posted an Instagram story with photos teasing T-ARA’s 15th-anniversary project, including behind-the-scenes shots with the members. Photos from the photoshoot were widely shared on social media, showing the four T-ARA members together.

Notably, Jiyeon also posted pictures with her T-ARA members, along with individual name tags for each member. Since their last comeback in 2021, T-ARA has largely stopped promoting as a group, with each member focusing on their solo career. With that, many are hopeful the group will come together again for their 15th anniversary.