A prominent figure in the K-pop world has opened up about a distressing experience of verbal abuse she faced while working on a Korean TV drama set.

Nam Jihyun, who gained international fame as a member of the popular girl group 4Minute, has transitioned into a successful acting career. However, her journey hasn’t been without its challenges. In a recent appearance on the Hwang Bora Boraiety YouTube channel, Jihyun recounted a troubling incident that occurred during the filming of one of her early K-dramas.

During the interview, Jihyun shared that a director on set directed harsh and demeaning comments toward her. “When I was filming my first K-drama while in 4Minute, the camera director said, ‘Hey, ugly b*tch! Stand in front,'” she recalled, as reported by Koreaboo.

Despite the hurtful remarks, Jihyun attempted to maintain her composure and countered the negativity with a positive attitude. “I thought, ‘Okay, I’ll handle this with positive energy,’ so I responded brightly, ‘Here comes the ugly b*tch,'” she explained.

Her efforts to defuse the situation with humor were met with further mockery, as the director laughed and continued with, “Haha, look at this b*tch.” Jihyun’s story sheds light on the challenges and pressures faced by artists in the entertainment industry, even as they strive for success and recognition.

‘Then he laughed and said, “Haha, look at this b*tch.”

Former K-pop star Nam Jihyun (pictured in 2022) has revealed that she was verbally abused on the set of a Korean TV show

The star, now 36, shot to fame in the South Korean girl group 4minute (pictured in 2013)

The director later apologized to Jihyun, but only because he had mistaken her for somebody less famous.

‘Afterward, he apologized, saying he didn’t realize I was in 4Minute. He thought I was a rookie actress and wanted to test my courage,’ she explained.

4Minute were one of the most popular K-pop groups of the early 2010s, which was the same time period that Jihyun was launching her acting career.

She has since starred in over a dozen Korean dramas and several movies, but she pivoted out of acting in recent years to become a Pilates instructor. 

She now owns her own barre studio, which is frequented by a number of Korean celebrities and K-pop stars. 

Meanwhile, her former 4Minute bandmate Hyuna made worldwide headlines last year after collapsing on stage at a music festival.  

The 33-year-old was performing her hit song Bubble Pop at the Waterbomb Festival in Macau in November when she became woozy while trying to push through the song’s signature choreography.  

In horrifying footage, she can be seen sluggishly gyrating her hips and turning around before crashing to the ground.

Jihyun said that she was called an ‘ugly b*tch’ by the director, who didn’t realize that she was the member of a popular girl group

Jihyun’s former bandmate Hyuna collapsed on stage during a performance last November 

Her backup dancers and a security guard then rushed to her aid and carried the unconscious hitmaker off stage.  

Prior to her collapse, she had been on an extreme diet which saw her shed 10kg (22lbs) in just one month. 

Hyuna has been open about her many health woes, which have been caused by years of disordered eating. 

The K-pop veteran, who was just 15 when she debuted on the music scene, previously confessed to eating just one piece of sushi a day so that she could keep her weight down to 40kg (88lbs).

4Minute debuted in 2009 with the single ‘Hot Issue’.

They went on to release a string of huge K-pop hits over the next seven years, including the No. 1s ‘Whatcha Doin’ Today?’ and ‘What’s Your Name?’.

The group officially disbanded in 2016 when their contract ran out, with Hyuna going on to continue her successful solo career.