2NE1’s Park Bom Addresses Drug Accusation vs. Dara in New Letter, But Doesn’t Say Sorry

K-popK-popSouth Korean pop music, known for polished production, precise choreography, and highly organized fan communities. With a massive following in the Philippines, K-pop shapes fan culture, concerts, and fashion, andGo to K-pop Glossary artist Park Bom has published and then deleted a long handwritten letter addressing her 2NE1 co-members and their fans, and touches on her accusation that Sandara Park, or Dara, used illegal drugs. But it isn’t quite the apology we were expecting.

As of this writing, the letter has been removed from her social media channels. But fans have re-uploaded photos online.

Bom started her letter by saying that she had dreamed of being a singer since she was young. “While studying abroad in the United States, I decided that I wanted to become a singer, and so I returned to Korea,” she wrote.

From there, she addressed each member of the South Korean girl group 2NE1, starting with leader and rapper CL, whom she called a “god of performance.” Bom wrote, “She fulfills everything admirably. Even when she moves her hand, it looks cool. She is in charge of making everything look cool.”

Of Minzy, the group’s youngest member, Bom said, “She is most definitely, without a doubt, the most spontaneous, strangest child. She is a delight. At random moments when I am on stage, I smile because Minzy makes me proud.”

Then she moved on to Dara. “Sandara is the princess of the Philippines,” she said. “I was always a fan […] Along with me, the main vocal, we sing together and it creates a synergy because her voice is so beautiful.”

After saying she loved the members, Bom went on to write, “In truth, about the drug accusations I made before, I am hoping that you will all just ignore that it happened.”

In 2014, Bom was embroiled in a scandal when it was revealed that in 2010, customs officers at Incheon International Airport found Adderall, a prescription medication used to treat ADHD, in a package sent to her by family members from the U.S. As in the Philippines, Adderall is prohibited in South Korea because of its classification as an amphetamine.

On March 3, Bom posted a now-deleted handwritten letter claiming that she had been framed to cover up for Dara’s alleged drug use. She admitted that she had attention deficit disorder, but that Dara had also been caught using drugs. “Sandara Park was caught for drug abuse, and to cover that up, they turned the medication into something labeled as a drug scandal involving me,” said Bom.

Responding to the allegation the following day, Dara wrote in a post, “I have never used drugs. I wish her well.”

Pie Gonzaga

Culture Writer

Pie Gonzaga is the Culture Writer of Rolling Stone Philippines, primarily covering film, TV, food, and internet culture.

Gonzaga has worked on a range of stories for print and digital formats, from an interview with Cardinal Ambo David to features on queer party organizers such as CHURCH and Club Euphoria. Her work as the magazine’s former State of Affairs Writer includes news updates on pressing issues like the flood control scandal and the missing sabungeros, and covering rallies. Under Culture, she’s written episode recaps for hit shows, film reviews, and features on restaurants and the people who run them.

Before working with Rolling Stone Philippines, she contributed lifestyle and entertainment stories for a digital news platform.

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• In This Article:
• 2NE1
• Dara
• K-Pop
• Park Bom