Lee Ah-reum, a former member of the girl group T-ara, had her appeal dismissed in a case where she was indicted on charges of child abuse and defamation. On the 9th, the 6-1 Criminal Division of Suwon District Court ruled to dismiss Ah-reum's appeal. As a result, Ah-reum will maintain the sentence previously handed down in January: eight months in prison with a two-year probation period and an order to attend 40 hours of child abuse prevention lectures.

Ah-reum was indicted for verbally abusing her ex-husband in front of their children and defaming Mr. A, who had revealed a court ruling about her boyfriend, through an internet broadcast. The court stated that Ah-reum "fully admitted" to the child abuse charges and ruled that "causing severe mental harm to the lawful custodian is highly condemnable." Regarding the defamation charges, the court noted, "Although there was no intent, the lack of effort to verify the facts implies indirect intent."

Ah-reum debuted as a member of the group T-ara in July 2012 but left the team in July 2013. She later married a businessman two years her senior in 2019 and had two sons. However, in December 2023, she revealed that she was undergoing divorce proceedings and planning to remarry her new partner. During the divorce process, Ah-reum claimed that her ex-husband had abused her throughout their marriage and also abused their children. Police investigations did not find evidence supporting the child abuse allegations against the ex-husband, and the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office dismissed the charges against him.

Ah-reum's ex-husband filed a complaint against Ah-reum and her mother in February last year for violating the Child Welfare Act. Ah-reum's mother was sentenced to four months in prison with a one-year probation. This case involves multiple legal issues in court, and legal judgments regarding the child abuse and defamation charges are ongoing.

Ah-reum is currently reported to be pregnant with her fourth child. This case has attracted public attention and is contributing to social discussions related to child abuse.