Korean actor Nam Joo-hyuk, star of the Korean drama "Twenty-Five Twenty-One," has been accused of being a school bully during his middle and high school days and his agency made a response to the allegations.
On June 20, a Korean media outlet published an exclusive report stating that a person reached out and accused Nam Joo-hyuk, 28, of school bullying.
Nam Joo-hyuk attended Changyong Middle School and Suil High School, both located in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea.
In the report, it stated that the person claimed that he was subjected to school bullying for six years in middle and high schools.
The person alleged that Nam Joo-hyuk was a member of an “iljin.” According to the Dong-A Ilbo, an “iljin” is a Korean school gang.
According to the informant, he went to school with Nam Joo-hyuk for about two years and he was not the only one who was bullied by his group.
He claimed the group shoved and cut lines during lunch time and swearing and beating were a daily occurrence, and the so-called “bread shuttle,” or asking students to bring bread from a store, took place frequently.
The accuser also alleged that mechanical pencil leads were thrown at him and his chair was pulled out before he sat down.
He claimed that other schoolmates who suffered more than him avoid watching TV and are receiving psychiatric treatment.
As a response, Management Soop, the actor’s agency, issued a statement and said that after checking with Nam Joo-hyuk, it was confirmed that all the contents of the news article were not true.
"Since the false report has severely damaged the actor’s reputation, we are planning to promptly require the Press Arbitration Commission to order The Days to correct its report,” the agency said, according to the Korea JoongAng Daily.
It added, “We will also file a criminal lawsuit against the reporter of the news outlet who broke the story and the anonymous accuser. We are currently in the process of seeking legal advice from our legal firm.”
It warned that it will take legal actions against unconfirmed posts on social media and YouTube.