Noh Ji Sun, Trapped in a Cycle of Debt After Using 3 Million Won Card Loan Following fromis_9 Departure

Noh Ji Sun, a former member of the group fromis_9, revealed her past of using card loans to make a living after finishing her idol activities. While she needed living expenses immediately, she was classified as someone with no income during loan screenings, making it difficult to borrow money; ultimately, the card loan she reached for led to an unexpected cycle of debt. The initial amount borrowed was 3 million won. As the loan chosen to put out the immediate fire grew like a snowball, Noh Ji Sun had to borrow money from her family to repay it and go through the process of recovering her credit.

Noh Ji Sun disclosed this experience while appearing on a video for the YouTube channel 'Min Sae-rom's Open Studio' released on the 11th. In the video titled 'Don't experience card loans! Advice like blood from a senior in life who transitioned from idol to a different profession,' she candidly shared the situations where she worried about livelihood and economic problems since the time she was continuing group activities.

Noh Ji Sun said, "I did group activities until I was 28 years old. Until then, I couldn't receive help from my parents or my older brother," adding, "Since I had to live right away, I also looked into loans." However, even when she tried to apply for loans, the situation was not favorable. Because a steady income could not be confirmed, financial institutions judged her as someone with no job or income, making it difficult to receive general loans. Although she was an idol active on stage, she faced the reality of having to prepare even immediate living expenses herself during the periods when she could not continue activities.

In a desperate situation, the option Noh Ji Sun discovered was a card loan. Recalling that time, she said, "Because I had to live right away, I thought it was a big problem. While feeling lost, I looked into it and found that card loans were available," and "Because it was urgent, I didn't even think about the interest rate, and it didn't feel real to me." She explained, "Since they said they would give me 3 million won, I thought I could live for three or four months, so I ended up taking a card loan." This means she did not have the luxury to sufficiently consider the interest burden or repayment plans as solving the immediate living expenses was the priority.

The problem began after she borrowed the money. Noh Ji Sun revealed, "The debt really grew like a snowball. After using the card loan, the limit had increased even more." Because she lacked the money to repay immediately, she borrowed additional money to repay the previously borrowed 3 million won, and the loans that followed piled up as debt that had to be repaid again. The method chosen to overcome the urgent situation instead led to a vicious cycle that increased the next repayment burden. Although it was a choice to endure for a few months at first, the task of organizing the debt became a much more complex and arduous process than expected.

Fortunately, Noh Ji Sun has currently repaid all the debt. She stated, "I paid it all off one year after leaving the group. It wasn't an amount in the hundreds of millions." However, the process of clearing the debt was not smooth. At the time, she borrowed money from her older brother who was preparing for marriage, and afterward, she had to recover her credit by paying back the money borrowed from her family and the card loans in order. Noh Ji Sun confessed, "My brother was also preparing for marriage, but he lent me money," and "The most difficult part was the process of paying back the money borrowed from my brother, paying back the card loan, and raising my credit." It was not just about paying off the debt, but about rebuilding broken financial trust.

Noh Ji Sun's experience shows the difficulties that a person in an irregular income and unstable job status can experience within the financial system. In a situation where immediate living expenses are needed, it is easy to look at whether money can be obtained rather than carefully considering high interest rates or repayment burdens. In particular, the method of borrowing money again to repay existing loans may seem to overcome the crisis temporarily but can increase the burden. Noh Ji Sun also gave advice to not use card loans lightly based on her experience. This is a part where the reality of life and the difficulty of economic independence, which were hidden behind the glamorous stage, were revealed.

Noh Ji Sun became known after appearing on the Mnet idol survival program 'Idol School' which ended in 2017 and taking the final center position. After debuting as fromis_9 the following year, she met fans through activities such as 'DM', 'WE GO', 'LOVE BOMB', 'Talk & Talk', and 'Glass Shoes'. However, in 2024, she left the team along with Lee Sae-rom and Lee Seo-yeon. Noh Ji Sun, who revealed the economic hardships she experienced while building a new life in an environment different from her days as an idol. Her experience from repaying all the debt to recovering her credit is drawing attention by showing the fact that realistic livelihood problems and trial and error exist even behind the glamorous image of celebrities.

Read the original (Korean)