Korean actor Ji Soo (Kim Ji Soo), 27, who is currently starring in the K-drama “River Where the Moon Rises,” is facing several accusations of school violence including bullying that he allegedly committed when he was in middle school.
In an online post, a person claimed he and Ji Soo were classmates at Sorabol Middle School in Seoul from 2006 to 2008.
“I would like to talk about the school violence done by actor Ji Soo, the main actor in the KBS drama ‘River Where the Moon Rises,’ and who has appeared in various dramas and movies,” the person stated.
He said Ji Soo appears on TV pretending to be good but said he is nothing more than a bully, harasser and gangster.
The author claimed that from second year of middle school in 2007, Ji Soo committed “evil deeds” in school and he was a member of an “iljin,” a Korean term meaning school gang.
He claimed that when one of the members of Ji Soo’s group got upset, everyone was going to be in trouble. He said he was beaten up, cursed at and trampled on.
Because of the bullying, he said he could not go anywhere including the hallways, bathrooms and cafeteria. When he accidentally met Ji Soo on the stairs, the actor would force him into a corner and listen to him swearing.
The author also claimed that Ji Soo would hit students with a BB gun. Ji Soo, he said, would sit in the back seat of the bus, open the window, take out the BB gun and shoot at students, and giggle. He said there were more people who were abused by Ji Soo.
“What I’m looking for is neither compensation nor apology. I’ve already gone through it all and I don’t need an apology for something irreversible,” the classmate said.
He told Ji Soo, “If you want to act, do it. However, live with the title ‘School Violence Perpetrator’ Ji Soo in front of the name. The memories of so many people that you have bullied like me will never be forgotten.”
On the same post by the author, two people commented that they were also victims of Ji Soo and another said what the author wrote is true.
The allegations may affect the airing of “River Where the Moon Rises” as Ji Soo is playing the lead role together with actress Kim So-hyun.
Ji Soo is the latest Korean celebrity to be accused of school violence. In less than two weeks, several K-pop stars and actors have been embroiled in similar controversies.