Former AOA member Choa has opened up about the reason behind her departure from the group in 2017.
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Choa recently appeared on singer Lee Ji-hye’s YouTube channel, during which she and the rest of the main cast of television show Diva Sisters – Ivy, Chae Rina, Narsha and Lee herself – were filmed gathering for drinks to celebrate Lee’s birthday.
In the midst of discussions about the women’s experiences in the Korean entertainment industry, Ivy asked Choa whether she “left [AOA] for [her] own good”. Choa then admitted that at the time of her departure from AOA, she “still wanted to be part of this industry”, per SBS Star.
However, Chae Rina noted that it “almost seemed like you were done with this industry”, adding that “the public probably felt the same way”. Choa responded by recalling the high standards she had set for herself while she was still an idol.
“I monitor myself as well as other artists a lot. Back then, I used to monitor performances by different [seniors] and thought to myself, ‘I would never be as good as them. What I have will never match up with theirs.’ I constantly compared myself to [seniors],” she told them.
Choa then shared that “one day, I was just like, ‘If I can’t be the best even if I try hard, there’s no point in staying in this business’”, thinking leaving the group was the best option for her “enjoy my 20s”.
Choa was a member of popular K-pop girl group AOA from 2012 to 2017. She left the act in June 2017. The singer made her return to the entertainment industry in 2020, after launching her own YouTube channel and contributing the song ‘Here I Am’ to the soundtrack of the K-drama, Men Are Men.
In a previous appearance on the same show, Choa had also revealed that “many K-pop stars rely on medications to get through the day in the industry” when asked about what advice she would give to younger idols.
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