Jewelry Reunites on Stage After 21 Years; Jo Min-a Breaks Down as 'Human Ashtray' Misunderstanding Is Resolved

Korean girl group Jewelry returned as a complete lineup on the YouTube channel 'Gaegwacheonseon Seo In-young' on June 12, bringing together Park Jung-ah, Lee Ji-hyun, Seo In-young, Jo Min-a and Ha Ju-yeon for a long-awaited group performance. The members sang some of the hit songs from their peak years, including 'I Really Like You,' 'Superstar' and 'One More Time.' The stage drew attention because Jewelry, whose members had long been followed by rumors of conflict after the group disbanded, was performing together as a complete group for the first time in 21 years.

After the performance ended, the members could not hold back their tears. The reunion attracted even more public interest because Jo Min-a and Seo In-young had been linked for years to reports of a strained relationship, making their appearance together on the same stage especially emotional.

In 2023, Jo Min-a wrote on her social media that she had suffered deeply during her time in Jewelry. She said, 'For more than three years, I was ostracized within the group. They always smoked inside the car, and I felt as if I had become a human ashtray. Later, I could not even ride in the same vehicle as the members and had to use the dancers' car.' Her post renewed attention on the pain she said she had carried from her idol-group years.

The rumors surrounding Jo Min-a and Seo In-young became even more fixed in the public mind that same year when it became known that Jo had not been invited to Seo In-young's wedding. Jo Min-a also expressed disappointment by saying, 'Whenever there was a broadcast, I was the only one left out.'

A relationship that had appeared to worsen to the point of no return began to thaw recently when Seo In-young reached out first. Last month, on Lee Ji-hye's YouTube channel, Seo In-young apologized, saying, 'Min-a always reached out her hand to me, but I avoided contacting her. I was lacking. I am sorry I could not invite her to the wedding.'

In the end, the long-running misunderstandings were naturally eased through this performance. Jo Min-a confessed, 'I consciously tried not to think about it, but the truth is, I missed her.' Seo In-young responded with a bright smile, giving the reunion a sense of closure that had not seemed possible for a long time.

Jo Min-a, who is now living a new life as an insurance planner, shared how overwhelmed she felt by the reunion. 'My heart is moved. I hope we can continue to see Jewelry perform as a complete group in the future,' she said, conveying her gratitude and emotion after standing with the members again.

Jewelry debuted in 2001 and established itself as one of the representative girl groups of the 2000s by releasing a string of hits including 'Tonight,' 'I Really Like You,' 'Superstar' and 'One More Time.' Although the group officially disbanded in 2015, this reunion has shown the possibility of the members coming together again.