Former Cats Member Kim Ji-hye Apologizes for Controversial Group Purchase

Kim Ji-hye, a former member of the group Cats, has issued an apology following a controversial group purchase event.

On October 16, Kim Ji-hye took to her Instagram to address the situation, posting a lengthy message titled "Guidance on Group Purchase."

In her post, Kim Ji-hye expressed her regret, stating, "I sincerely apologize for the confusion caused by not providing detailed explanations during the group purchase process. This is due to my shortcomings."

She explained that the product involved in the group purchase was "the first gift received after my baby was born," and she wanted to share the emotional impact it had on her by offering it at a good price. However, she admitted that her focus was solely on making the group purchase happen.

Kim Ji-hye further apologized for "the inconvenience caused by the quick sell-out, limited quantity, and delayed responses."

The group purchase faced several issues, including server access errors, inadequate demand forecasting, insufficient guidance on product authenticity, failure to verify lower prices on other channels, and additional payments for some orders even after the product was sold out.

This is not the first time celebrities have faced criticism for their group purchase activities. Actress Hwang Bo-ra was criticized for staging a car accident scene to promote a product despite having a history of drunk driving.

Additionally, broadcaster Park Mi-sun faced backlash after promoting blueberry concentrate following her breast cancer diagnosis, with many netizens pointing out that hospitals advise against consuming juices or concentrates during cancer treatment.

Kim Ji-hye debuted with Cats in 2007 and married Choi Sung-wook (Ace) from the group Paran in 2019. After six years of marriage, she successfully underwent IVF and gave birth to twins in September last year.

Reporter: Da-yeon Jeong, Ten Asia light@tenasia.co.kr