A Canadian K-pop star who fled the industry a decade ago following a ‘prostitution’ scandal has returned to the public eye.

Gina Choi, 37, better known by her stage name G.NA, was one of South Korea’s most popular female soloists in the 2010s.

She achieved great success with hit songs like ‘Black and White’ and ‘2Hot’, appeared on numerous TV programs, and secured significant endorsement deals with companies like LG.

Yet, her flourishing career suddenly ended in early 2016 when she became entangled in a shocking prostitution scandal that shook the conservative K-pop scene.

The Korea Herald reported that Choi was accused of receiving approximately $25,000 from a Korean-American businessman in Los Angeles in April 2015 in exchange for sexual services.

She refuted the allegations, asserting that she was framed by a man she trusted as a friend who turned out to be involved in high-end prostitution rings.

Despite her denial, she was charged with prostitution and had to pay a fine in South Korea. 

Following the allegations, she immediately paused her entertainment career and returned to Canada, where she has stayed out of the public eye for over nine years.

Canadian K-pop star Gina ‘G.NA’ Choi, who stepped away from the music scene a decade ago due to a ‘prostitution’ scandal, has now re-emerged into public view. (Pictured 2014)

‘While working in Korea’s entertainment industry, I went through an experience that changed me deeply,’ she wrote in an emotional post this week

Now Choi has broken her silence in a lengthy Instagram post to her 300,000 followers.

‘Hi again… I’ve carried this quietly for years. While working in Korea’s entertainment industry, I went through an experience that changed me deeply,’ she began. 

‘What hurt most wasn’t what happened… it was the silence. I disappeared not to hide, but to survive. But I’m not that scared girl anymore. I’m no longer defined by the past, but by what I choose to do now,’ she continued.

‘I’ve healed, I’ve grown, and I’m reclaiming my voice… not to relive old wounds, but to move forward with honesty and love.’

The star then thanked her fans for their unwavering support over the past decade.  

‘To my loyal fans who never stopped believing in me… thank you from the bottom of my heart. To those who walked away, I understand. And to anyone silenced by shame… your story isn’t over.’

She also shared a number of new photos of herself to showcase her current life in Canada.

In one image, she gazed sadly into the camera, while another one showed her beaming happily while sitting on some steps. 

Best known as G.NA, she was one of South Korea’s most popular female soloists in the 2010s and topped the charts with hits like ‘Black and White’

The 37-year-old shared a recent photo of herself and revealing that she’s ‘healed’ from her prostitution scandal

It’s unclear if Gina is planning to return to the entertainment industry, but if she is, now would be the perfect time to do so,

K-pop is currently all the rage in the West, with the musical kids movie K-pop Demon Hunters recently becoming the most-watched Netflix movie of all time. 

The movie’s soundtrack has also dominated the charts, with the track ‘Golden’ hitting No. 1 on the Hot 100. 

Meanwhile South Korean boy band Stray Kids recently dethroned Morgan Wallen on the Billboard 200 with their new album, Karma. 

Apple TV+ has since jumped on board the K-pop trend with their own music competition series, Kpopped. 

The show, which is hosted by Megan Thee Stallion and Gangnam Style hitmaker PSY, and sees top Western artists teaming up with K-pop stars to reimagine their biggest hits for exciting collaborative performances. 

A number of popular K-pop groups are also set to tour the US before the end of the year, including Katseye, Le Sserafim, and Fromis 9.