Korean actress Kim Hieora, 34, who played the role of drug addict Lee Sa-ra in the hit Netflix drama “The Glory,” is facing bullying allegations in real life.

In "The Glory," Lee Sa-ra was part of the group that bullied Moon Dong-eun (Song Hye-kyo) in high school. 

In a reel-to-real situation, Korean media outlet Dispatch published a report on Sept. 7 that during her middle school years about 19 years ago, Kim Hieora was a member of the group called “Big Sanji” at Sangji Kim HieoraGirls’ Middle School in Wonju, Gangwon in South Korea. 

Korean actress Kim Hieora as Lee Sa-ra in "The Glory" (Netflix)

Kim Hieora (right) with fellow cast members of the drama "The Uncanny Counter 2: Counter Punch” (Instagram)

The report added that “Big Sanji” was a group of “iljin,” a Korean term meaning school gang, that perpetrated school violence and bullying against students. 

The group, it added, was notorious for extorting money from students and in the process, verbal abuse and assault.  

Kim Hieora recently starred in "The Uncanny Counter 2: Counter Punch” and appeared in "Extraordinary Attorney Woo" and “Hospital Playlist 2.”

According to the report, one informant said “Big Sanji” would ask for money to buy cigarettes, drink alcohol and go to a karaoke room. 

Kim Hieora admitted to Dispatch that she was a member of “Big Sanji” but denied that she committed school violence and described herself as only a “bystander.” 

"I was not the best student out there, but I have not bullied other students. I am not trying to duck my responsibility here, but I would say I was more of a bystander," she said, SBS News reported. 

Her agency, Gram Entertainment, stated, "It is true that Kim Hieora was one of the members of 'Big Sangji,' but we would like to make it very clear that any additional accusations that have been discussed and reported in the media are untrue. Kim Hieora also never admitted to those acts; she has never taken part in any kind of school violence."

In a letter she sent to Dispatch, Kim Hieora said, "Since when I was young, not only did I have a unique name, but also facial features. That meant, I was either to attract attention or to be teased.” 

“As I entered middle school, many issues arose due to things related to my cousin, even though it was not my will. From then on, I started to believe that it was better to be noticed than be picked on; I looked at the world with an immature perspective," she added. 

According to her, "The reason why I got into acting was because I could confidently say that I had never violently bullied anyone in the past. Back in school, I have made a lot of mistakes; I was not a model student. I now realized that my group and I feared some students, and I feel terrible about that.” 

“But from the last year of middle school, I really made up my mind to be a better person. And from high school, I've been someone that is always striving to become a person who seeks out and brings good influence," she said. 

She added, "Hearing that students at my school remembered me as 'a scary senior,' my mind went totally blank. It was shocking to hear that since I had never beat anyone or anything then. But this provided me an opportunity to reflect on my past actions that may have made me seem like a bully. I'm not saying that I was nice and kind, but I do acknowledge my immaturity." 

"Dear reporter Kim So-jeong, it may sound like I'm making excuses, but please know that ever since I came to the realization that those were wrong, I have made every effort to improve myself as a human being. I cannot change the past, but if you just give me a chance, I will make sure to live by paying off all my debts," she said.

Under the Korean law “Act on the Prevention of and Countermeasures Against Violence In Schools, school violence is defined as “actions committed against students inside or outside of school premises resulting in a physical or mental injury, or damage to property through a battery, assault, confinement, threat, kidnapping, abduction, defamation, insult, extortion, coercion, forced errand, sexual violence, bullying, or cyber-bullying, or with obscene or violent information via an information and communications network.”