These five K-pop idols were all embroiled in controversy before they even made their official debut.

1. Kim Garam

After Kim Garam was announced as a member of LE SSERAFIM, an internet user claiming to be a middle school classmate accused the then soon-to-debut idol of being a school bully. They claimed Kim Garam would mistreat her juniors and would drink and smoke underage.

Another user claimed she slammed a student's head against a brick wall, causing it to split open.

ALSO READ: LE SSERAFIM's Kim Garam Draws Attention for Past Problematic SNS Posts

Photos from her personal Facebook also arose, and many were shocked by her sexually inappropriate captions.

Kim Garam left the group and agency only two months after LE SSERAFIM debuted.

2. aespa Giselle

After Giselle was introduced as a member of aespa, several pre-debut photos of her surfaced. The idol was seen posing with her middle finger up, leading many to wonder about her true character.

Rumors started to go around that she smoked and drank as a minor. There were also hearsays that she had taken drugs underage.

After becoming an SM Entertainment trainee, Giselle deleted all her photos and changed her phone number to a new one. People speculated she was able to debut thanks to her connections.

Her aunt is Cho Jun Hee, the director of the Seoul brand of ABC News. Cho Jun Hee is the rumored girlfriend of SM Entertainment's founder, Lee Soo Man.

3. aespa Karina

Before her debut, an internet user claiming to be Karina's friend leaked messages she had with the idol.

In the messages, Karina was seen criticizing the appearance of EXO, BTS, and NCT. The messages also showed Karina saying Irene of Red Velvet has a lot of wrinkles.

Additionally, the messages showed Karina calling EXO Kai ugly while they were filming a commercial.

SM Entertainment denied these claims and announced legal action against the internet user.

Soon, it was revealed that the screenshots were fabricated.

4. Kim Sehoon

Kim Sehoon was set to debut as a member of CIX in 2019. However, following his announcement, old classmates exposed his "thug past."

Kim Sehoon allegedly vandalized the school and forced female students to clean his mess. They also claimed that he would make sexually inappropriate posts online, sexually harass girls, and terrorize their teachers.

After investigating the claims, C9 Entertainment announced that Kim Sehoon would no longer be debuting in CIX.

However, they allowed him to remain a trainee under the company.

5. Yoon Seobin

Yoon Seobin was a former JYP Entertainment trainee and "PRODUCE X 101" contestant. While competing on the show, an internet user claimed that the trainee was a well-known school bully in middle school.

In addition, they accused him of drinking and smoking underage and shared photos of the Yoon Seobin doing so while in school uniform.

After investigating the claims, JYP Entertainment terminated their contract with Yoon Seobin, and he dropped out of "PRODUCE X 101." He spoke with news outlet Ilgan Sports, where he released an apology for his past actions.

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Written by Alexa Lewis