Quick Take: Park Choa Leaves AOA?

Late Thursday night, AOA’s Park Choa announced on Instagram that she would be leaving the group. In the post, Choa cited health concerns like insomnia and depression as the main factors for why she decided to leave the group, stating that she’d been struggling with them for a while. FNC Entertainment announced within an hour that nothing about Choa’s departure had been confirmed, but the company’s vague statement didn’t really give AOA fans hope that the group’s main vocalist would be sticking around.

Some of our staff here at The Kraze took a moment to reflect on the news. What do you think of Choa’s decision? Let us know in the comments below.

. 안녕하세요 초아입니다 저의 갑작스런 활동중단에 많은분들이 관심 가져주시고 걱정해주셔서 정말 감사했고 죄송했습니다 조금 늦었지만 제가 쉴수밖에 없었던 이유와 고민해서 내린 결정에 대해서 말씀드리고 싶어요. AOA라는 팀으로 데뷔하자마자 많은 사랑을받았던것이 아니기때문에 그만큼 사랑 받는다는것을 소중하게 느끼고 항상 감사하고 있었습니다. 팀에서 맏언니 였지만 아직 한참 어린 저는 활동을 해오면서 울고싶을때가 많았습니다. 하지만 저를 찾아주시는 이유는 밝은 저의 모습이라는것을 잘알고있었어요 마음은 울고있었지만 밝게만 보여야 하는 일이 반복되었고 스스로를 채찍질 할수록 점점 병들고있는 스스로를 발견 했었습니다. 불면증과 우울증을 치료하고자 약도 먹어보고 2년전부터 스케줄을 점점 줄여왔지만 피곤에서 오는 문제가 아니였기에 결국 모든활동을 중단하게 되었습니다 기다려주시는 분들을 떠올리며 복귀할수있도록 노력했지만 마냥 쉬고있는 상태로 부정적인 관심들이 지속되면 팀원들에게 더 많은 피해가 가게 될수 있다고 생각이들었습니다. 소속사와 협의 하에 저는 오늘 부로 aoa라는 팀에서 탈퇴하여 함께했던 멤버들의 활동을 응원하고자합니다. 연예인을 준비하고 활동했던 8년동안 많은것들을 배울수 있었다고 생각하고 힘들다고 생각하는 지금 이순간 조차 저를 성장시키는 과정이라고 생각이듭니다. 저는 올해 28살로 앞으로 혼란스러운 스스로를 차근차근 돌아보고 지난 8년간의 방송활동 이외에 남은 20대는 제 나이만큼의 넓은 경험들로 채워보고싶어요. 지금은 예정되어있던 개인활동 외에 활동은 생각하지 않고있는 상태로 언젠가 더이상 두렵지않고 지금보다 더 나아진 제 모습을 보여드릴 수 있을 때 그때에도 저를 응원해주시나면 분들이 계신다면 다시 돌아오고싶습니다. 많이 부족한사람인지라 그 와중에서도 끝까지 응원해주시고 걱정해주신많은 분들께 진심으로 애정어린 감사를 드립니다. 오랜시간 함께해온 멤버들 그리고 사랑받을수 있도록 부족한 점을 매꿔 주셨던 많은분들 , 그동안 저를 포함한 AOA를 사랑해주신 많은분들께 진심으로 감사드립니다.

1,685 Likes, 192 Comments - 초아 (@queenchoa_) on Instagram: ". 안녕하세요 초아입니다 저의 갑작스런 활동중단에 많은분들이 관심 가져주시고 걱정해주셔서 정말 감사했고 죄송했습니다 조금 늦었지만 제가 쉴수밖에 없었던 이유와 고민해서 내린..."

Roxanne Wilson

It's natural for rumors to fly around the Internet when a member of a well known group takes an extended break from group activities, but it is truly heartbreaking when those rumors become true. It seems like all the legendary girl groups are falling off the face of the planet lately, or experiencing some sort of problems within their companies. While it saddens me to see this pattern continue, I’m also very concerned for Choa’s mental health. The state of mental health treatment in the idol industry is truly baffling, and I hope that Choa will take the rest she needs and focus on recovering from her depression.

Can someone please protect my girls and their health? This is getting ridiculous.

Haley Whisennand

I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t know a whole lot about girl groups. Especially compared to my wide array of useless boy group knowledge, I’m basically girl group illiterate. However, Choa was the one AOA member that seemed to stand out among the rest for me. Maybe it’s because a super short bob in platinum blonde isn’t exactly something you see every day in K-Pop, let alone across multiple comebacks. Whatever the reason, it’s really sad to hear that she’s been struggling to the point to where she feels it’s better to just leave the group entirely. That much constant, unrelenting stress wouldn’t be good for anyone.

While it’s always sad to see someone leaving a group, I’m glad she’s putting her health first in this situation. Mental health is something that really gets under-prioritized in South Korea, so seeing her be so upfront about her struggles with depression and insomnia is brave and refreshing, in my book. The departure will no doubt make AOA’s immediate future as a group a little more difficult, but I think that if these health issues have truly gotten to the point where leaving the group is a serious option, then it’s probably the best route for everyone.

Savanah Fita

It's a bad time for girl group fans lately. While it’s been rumored for a while now, it is always a shock when someone leaves a group. Especially someone like Choa, who always stood out to me. There is a lot of confusion going around about whether she is actually leaving or not. Either way, I hope Choa works toward feeling better. Insomnia and depression is a dangerous mix, and no one can work to the best of their abilities when something so draining is affecting them. While it's upsetting to lose someone from a beloved group, it's clear that this wasn't an easy decision. Especially being the oldest member, Choa must have had a lot of stress and pressure on her shoulders. I sincerely hope that she does leave the group, just because no one should continue doing something that is causing them to suffer. I hope she moves towards a better, happier, and healthier future. I also hope AOA and fans understand and continue to support each other.

Atlanta Doherty Brophy

Although I thought Choa would leave AOA, it saddens me that she is in a dark place. I have been following AOA since their debut, constantly impressed with their releases. Choa stood out to me, not only due to her blonde hair, but her extraordinary voice as well. She made AOA songs stand out, so it's hard to believe I won't hear her voice alongside her fellow members again. Choa is extremely brave, and I hope she finds happiness in her personal life. I will still continue to support AOA. I'm curious to see how they will continue on and if their music will change. This is just another example that idols don't have it all.

Heba Emad

We’ve been receiving a lot of bad news about girl groups disbanding and members leaving recently. Today, I woke up to even more shocking news: Choa is leaving AOA. I was so surprised, especially since the group's last comeback was a such a success! And now, FNC is saying it's not official yet? Like WHAT!