Kim Chaewon Neck Injury: LE SSERAFIM Member Resting After Medical Advice

Kim Chaewon has temporarily stepped back from selected LE SSERAFIM activities after receiving medical treatment for neck pain. Source Music announced on May 19, 2026, that the singer had visited doctors and was advised to rest, making the Kim Chaewon Injury a central issue during the group’s album promotion period.¹

The agency’s notice, cited across Korean media, said Kim Chaewon would not take part in some scheduled music broadcasts and events. Her future participation is to be adjusted according to her recovery status, with no fixed return date announced in the available reports.¹

Kim Chaewon Injury Confirmed in May 19 Agency Notice

The clearest confirmed account begins with Source Music’s May 19 Weverse notice. Korea JoongAng Daily reported that the company said Kim Chaewon had “visited the doctors to treat her neck pain and was advised to rest,” and that she would take time away from group activities while recovering.¹

Other Korean outlets described the same notice in similar terms. Edaily reported that Kim Chaewon received hospital treatment for pain in the neck area and was advised by medical staff to rest. Newsis also reported that medical opinion called for a period of stability and rest after treatment for neck pain.²³

The announcement did not provide a detailed diagnosis beyond neck pain. It also did not specify the exact length of her break. Based on the available source material, the confirmed status is limited to medical treatment, rest, monitoring of recovery, and adjusted participation in previously announced schedules.

The pause affected several public activities. Sports Donga reported that Kim Chaewon would be absent from university festival appearances, Spotify PURE FLOWERS LIVE, and music broadcasts. Edaily and Newsis also reported that those previously scheduled events were among the activities she would miss.⁴²³

The timing placed the health update in the middle of LE SSERAFIM’s promotion schedule. Newsis reported that the group was preparing to release its second full-length album, written in Korean as ‘퓨어플로우 파트 1,’ on May 22, 2026. StarNews separately reported the album title as ‘PUREFLOW pt.1’ in coverage tied to the group’s release interview.³⁵

Fan Protest Focused on “CELEBRATION” Choreography

After the activity suspension notice, attention turned to fan criticism over the performance for “CELEBRATION.” Dong-A Ilbo reported on May 21 that some fans sent funeral wreaths to Source Music’s office in protest, arguing that the headbanging movement in the “CELEBRATION” stage placed excessive strain on Kim Chaewon’s neck.⁶

Sports Donga reported that the “CELEBRATION” performance included an intense headbanging move and that some fans had previously requested changes to the choreography. Edaily also noted that fan concern had emerged around the headbanging element as LE SSERAFIM began activities connected to the second full-length album.⁴²

The available reports do not establish an official medical finding that the choreography caused Kim Chaewon’s neck pain. The agency-confirmed facts are narrower: she received treatment for pain in the neck area, was advised to rest, and would miss selected activities. The claim that the “CELEBRATION” choreography contributed to the injury was reported as a position raised by protesting fans, not as an official conclusion.⁶

That distinction matters in reporting the incident. The wreath protest is part of the public reaction to the May 19 health notice, but the sources provided do not show Source Music accepting the fans’ causal claim or releasing a medical explanation beyond the need for treatment and rest.

Members Gave Limited Update During Album Interview

A further update came through LE SSERAFIM’s album-related interview coverage on May 22. StarNews reported that Kim Chaewon did not attend the interview because of her neck injury. In the same report, Huh Yunjin said in Korean that Kim Chaewon was recovering well and that people did not need to worry.⁵

The StarNews report added that LE SSERAFIM released ‘PUREFLOW pt.1’ on May 22 and was scheduled to begin its second world tour with performances in Incheon on July 11 and 12. Those tour details were reported in the context of the album interview, but the source material does not state whether Kim Chaewon’s injury will affect those later dates.⁵

For now, the public record remains limited. Source Music has confirmed treatment and rest after neck pain, media reports have listed the schedules she will miss, fans have protested over choreography concerns, and one member has said Kim Chaewon is in recovery. No report in the supplied material gives a full medical diagnosis, a return timetable, or an official link between the injury and a specific stage movement.

Kim Chaewon’s neck injury has therefore become both a health update and a point of debate around performance demands during LE SSERAFIM’s album activities. The confirmed next step is recovery and schedule adjustment based on her condition, with further participation dependent on updates from the agency.

작성자 소개

Cloi Lee

Author

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