“It wasn’t just one or two kids who were victimized” ... Cha Ye-ryun denied school bullying allegations, but indiscriminate claims that she “was a devil” continue to spread

[Financial News] Actress Cha Ye-ryun officially denied through her agency allegations that she had bullied students at school, but further claims about her past have continued to emerge online, stirring controversy.

The controversy began on the 29th, when a post alleging that an “actress born in 1985 who bullied students at school should please stop working” appeared on an online community. The writer, identified as A, claimed to have suffered repeated assaults and bullying by actress C while attending Junggye Middle School in Seoul, and posted a photo from the school’s graduation album.
Describing what happened to A at the time, A claimed, “That student was truly a devil in middle school,” and said, “I was constantly bullied in the back of the classroom, in the restroom, at the playground, and in the hallways of buildings near the school.”
A went on to describe the incidents in detail: “If that student came to find me during break and said, ‘Stay behind today,’ I had to go with that student and a group of bullies to a building near the school after classes. I was mainly slapped in the building’s hallway, hard enough to rupture my eardrum and leave my face badly swollen.”
A said the psychological distress caused by the bullying had continued to this day. A said, “Because of that student, I still see a mental health specialist, take medication, and live with depression and anxiety symptoms.”
A added, “I hope that person will stop all television and YouTube activities, sincerely reflect on what happened, and apologize,” and warned, “If they deny it by saying it’s baseless or that they don’t remember, I’ll submit additional testimony from classmates.”

Based on the year of birth, former school, initials and other details A made public, online users identified Cha Ye-ryun as the alleged perpetrator. On the 30th, her agency, HB Entertainment, issued a statement saying, “After checking, we found the claims to be baseless,” and categorically denied the school bullying allegations.
Even so, the controversy has been slow to die down. Comments on related articles include, “Her classmates and people in the neighborhood apparently shuddered at her,” “I saw that a classmate from the same school had already posted something a few years ago,” and “It wasn’t just one or two kids who were victimized.” More comments have followed, hinting at additional victims or claiming similar allegations had been made in the past. The veracity of these claims has not been verified.
The allegations have intensified amid a further claim that comments calling for Cha Ye-ryun to address the school bullying allegations were deleted from her personal YouTube channel.

Meanwhile, some online users urged caution against indiscriminate criticism and hasty speculation, calling for careful judgment. Indeed, the truth of the past allegations and claims involving classmates currently circulating online has not been objectively verified.
Cha Ye-ryun married actor Joo Sang-wook in 2017, and they have one daughter. Recently, she has connected with fans through her personal YouTube channel, “Cha Jang-geum Cha Ye-ryun,” sharing cooking content and glimpses of family life.
[email protected] Ahn Ga-eul Reporter