After School Members Profile

K-pop powerhouse HYBE said Friday it has established a new label specializing in producing girl groups, with plans to debut its first act later this year. The label is named ABD, short for its brand slogan, "A Bold Dream," and reflects an approach that seeks to "imagine D instead of C after A and B," the company said in a statement. The label will be led by No Ji-won, head of artist planning at HYBE subsidiary Pledis Entertainment. Pledis' veteran producer Han Sung-soo, who has previously worked on artists including Seventeen, After School, IZ*ONE and TWS, will lead production for the new girl group, HYBE said. The planned debut will add to HYBE's roster of girl groups, which includes Le Sserafim under Source Music, NewJeans under ADOR, ILLIT under Belift Lab and Katseye under HYBE Labels.

Lizzy, a former member of the K-pop group After School, revealed during a recent livestream that she has been struggling with severe depression. On Wednesday, Lizzy went live on her personal social media account. During the broadcast, she appeared visibly distressed as she faced malicious comments and questions about her appearance. She explained that she underwent corrective surgery because of a past medical error. Lizzy also opened up about the emotional exhaustion hidden behind the glamor of celebrity life. "Being a celebrity means your whole life is out in the open," she said. "If someone told me they wanted to do this job, I’d try to talk them out of it. It’s just so much tougher for female idols." "I don't regret choosing this job, but I really blame myself for what I did. My depression got so bad that I was talking about life and death ... which actually got my old account suspended, so I came here," she added. "What good is a wonderful world if I am suffering?" Fans, alarmed by her emotional state, filled the chat with messages begging her to stay safe and not give up. Before en