Soojin was removed from (G)I-DLE and while her removal was only announced on August 14, Cube Entertainment reportedly decided her removal when her school bullying controversy broke out starting in February.
According to an exclusive report from Sports Kyunghyang, Cube Entertainment had already decided that Soojin would be leaving (G)I-DLE at the time her school bullying controversy broke out. Cube Entertainment made their official announcement regarding Soojin’s removal from the group on August 14 KST.
Sports Kyunghyang also reported that the decision to remove Soojin from (G)I-DLE was linked to (G)I-DLE’s activities as a whole, as Soojin’s controversy had a negative effect on all of (G)I-DLE’s activities, both individual and as a group. When Soojin’s controversy broke out, Cube Entertainment stated that Soojin would temporarily suspend activities. Even though the group released UNIVERSE digital single “Last Dance” with five members, they were unable to continue their activities for months due to Soojin’s controversy.
Soojin initially refuted her school violence controversy and when actress Seo Shin Ae shared her experiences, Soojin indirectly demanded a response from her, denying her claims. However, the controversy grew as Seo Shin Ae continued to personally reveal her experiences and the damage she incurred.
Finally, Sports Kyunghyang reported that both Cube Entertainment and the other (G)I-DLE members believed that it was no longer possible to delay team activities due to Soojin’s controversy, thus leading to her removal from the group.
