“Beaten until an eardrum burst” vs. “Never bullied anyone” ... What is the truth about Cha Ye-ryeon?

[Financial News] The agency of actress Cha Ye-ryeon (41) has categorically denied allegations that she perpetrated school violence as a student, calling them “completely unfounded.” But conflicting claims from people online who say they were her classmates have continued to surface, fueling an ongoing dispute over the truth.
According to the entertainment industry and online communities on the 1st, the controversy began when a post titled “Actress born in 1985 accused of school bullying: Please stop your activities” appeared on an online forum on the 29th of last month.
The author, identified as A, claimed to have suffered persistent bullying and violence in middle school at the hands of an actress who attended Seoul Junggye Middle School. A wrote, “I was repeatedly bullied in classrooms, bathrooms and hallways. After school, I was dragged to a building near the school and beaten by a group of school bullies, slapped so hard that my eardrum ruptured and my face swelled.” A continued, “They would borrow my gym uniform and not return it, or curse at me whenever we crossed paths,” and said, “I feel immense pain whenever I see her portrayed on TV or YouTube with the wholesome image of a good mother and wife.”
Although the post did not name anyone, Cha Ye-ryeon was identified based on clues such as her age—she was born in 1985—and the middle school she attended. Her agency, HB Entertainment, immediately issued an official statement dismissing the allegations, saying, “Our review found that the allegations of school violence are completely unfounded.”
Despite the agency’s strong response, conflicting accounts from netizens claiming to be former classmates have continued to appear in the comments on the post, and the controversy has not died down.
Netizen B, who said they were a former classmate, claimed, “I didn’t personally witness serious school violence such as physical assault, but it’s true that she was one of five members of a group of school bullies who smoked, intimidated other students, and borrowed gym uniforms or textbooks whenever they wanted, making their classmates afraid.” Another netizen also supported the allegations, saying, “The right thing to do is acknowledge the past of playing the school bully and apologize to the victim.”
Others spoke out to challenge the allegations. Netizen C, another person claiming to be a former classmate, wrote, “It’s true that rumors circulated because of her striking appearance at the time, and that some classmates disliked her. But as far as I remember, she was by no means someone who hit people or went around persistently bullying them.”
As anonymous allegations of school bullying involving people in the entertainment industry continue to recur, concerns are also being raised about the indiscriminate allegations and public stigmatization taking place online. The posts and comments made so far remain anonymous, with the authors’ identities, whether they actually graduated, and the factual basis of their claims all yet to be officially verified.
Legal experts and others in the field point out that categorical accusations or secondary victimization made before the facts have been clearly established can lead to legal penalties, including for defamation, and say a cautious approach is needed.
[email protected] Moon Young-jin Reporter