Actress Park Hye Su Defends Herself Against Bullying Allegations In Lengthy Instagram Updates, Claiming She Was The One Bullied

Following what seems to be a ceaseless battle back and forth between actress Park Hye Su and the alleged bullying victims, even Dispatch got involved in trying to discover the truth. Since then, the actress came to defend herself against all allegations in two lengthy Instagram updates — claiming that she herself got bullied by one of the alleged victims who keeps accusing her.

In the first part of the update, Park Hye Su pled that she “suffered greatly while watching the false allegations doing an irreversible damage to her reputation” for her.

Hello, this is Park Hye Su. It took me a long time before I finally got the courage to post this. I’m sorry that I couldn’t speak up for myself sooner. I actually wrote then deleted this post countless times. I believed that I could let the allegations blow over because none of them are true. But while I stayed quiet, the lies turned into bigger lies. New allegations were made against me. And it all kept piling on. Some pictures taken out of context became ‘evidence’ to support the allegations. I suffered greatly while watching the false allegations doing an irreversible damage to my reputation.

I knew that many of you waited for me to come forward and speak for myself. I had not stepped up until now, however, because I also knew that against everything said and believed to be the truth, my words would not be convincing at all. I decided I had to post this when I provided the evidence to prove my innocence, yet the truth continued to be falsified.

— Park Hye Su

She then continued to share that she had fallen victim to bullying in her middle school days. According to her post, she “already knows what it’s like to have rumors be spread” about her and “how hard it is to reverse the damage done by malicious allegations.”

This is not the first time I’m experiencing this. In the past, I’ve had some spread rumors about me and others believe those lies to be the absolute truth. So I also know how hard it is to reverse the damage done by every single malicious allegation that come pouring one after another.

In 2008, in 8th grade, I went to the United States to study abroad. The next year, I returned to Korea. When I came back, I moved away from where I used to live prior to the study abroad and I transferred schools. By July 2009, I started 8th grade again at a new middle school. And I had no one there, I was a total stranger at that school — and that’s when I began experiencing some frightening things.

Because I transferred schools, and because I was technically a year older than everyone in the same grade, and because I had studied abroad in the United States, some students began making up malicious lies about me, and the rumors spread quickly. Some said I went to the US for an abortion. Some said I actually never went to the US but that I got kicked out of my previous school because I had done bad things. And all these allegations followed me around everywhere. While I had only shared my phone number with a few friends, it soon became known to everyone at school. Every morning, I woke up to text messages that cursed me out and sexually harassed me. I will never forget those mornings, waking up to check my phone with my heart racing… crying silently so my parents wouldn’t hear.

— Park Hye Su

Park Hye Su revealed that prior to transferring, she only had the best memories from school. Then, in a detailed account of how she got treated at the new middle school, Park Hye Su claimed that one of the alleged victims is actually the one who bullied her.

At my previous school, I was an average student. I had good friends and good teachers. I only made the best memories from that school. So what was happening to me at the new school, I could barely endure. In fact, I remember: A week before I left to the United States, my former classmates and homeroom teacher threw me a farewell party on a non-school day. I got to blow out candles on a cake and take pictures. I was so happy then. Really, I had no idea why I ended up in an unfamiliar neighborhood or why I had to get bullied so badly. And even though I was in so much pain, I couldn’t tell my parents about it because they were the ones who insisted that we move neighborhoods so I can have a chance at better education. I kept it all to myself and suffered alone.

The bullying got worse over time. They would flip my lunch over, spilling the food all over my school uniform. They would beat me when I would walk down the hallways. They would curse at me. Some of the 9th graders would summon me to their hallways and told me that they ‘can’t stand me for some reason.’ They would push me around, threatening me like they ‘want to beat me up’ and that they would have bullied me ‘even if I was in their grade.’

I did have some friends who reached out to me though — and they were the only reason I survived those days. Those friends weren’t swayed by the countless rumors about me. They saw me and liked me for who I was. Eventually, with the help of these friends, I was able to like going to school again. I did have to get psychological therapy for three years because of the trauma inflicted by the bullying. But with regular help, I was able to let go of a lot of pain. I was able to get rid of the self-hate that had built up in me over the time that I was picked on for no reason.

The bully who flipped my lunch over and cursed at me in the hallways is actually one of the alleged victims who is accusing me of having been a bully. That person and I actually ended up becoming friends in 9th grade. Back then, until now, I tried to consider that person a friend. With everything that has happened, there is no way for me to avoid legal action against this person… but I can’t help but wonder and feel brokenhearted at why our friendship had to come to this.

— Park Hye Su

In the second part of the update, Park Hye Su made it clear that she is set on making the truth be known.

That bully’s group of friends flooded my Instagram with comments that are simply not true. All the screenshots circulating online, in association with this bullying allegation, also come from them. No one knows where these stories come from or whether they’re true. Yet these stories are all over the internet, posing as the truth about me.

I would like to ask the bully ‘why?’ From the Instagram terror to two separate interviews, the bully hasn’t even been able to keep the story straight. So what is the reason that this person wants to bring me down so badly, with all these rumors and allegations? What is the bully trying to get out of this? But I will not fall victim to these malicious actions, trying to destroy me. No matter how long it takes, I will let the truth be known.

It also seems that the ‘victims collective’ chatroom with allegedly tens of victims is built on lies as well. I’m getting information from the persons in that chatroom about the rumors that are brewing in that chatroom. And I no longer believe that it is worth my time to try debunking every single allegation being made against me. From here on, I will show zero tolerance and move forward with legal actions.

Watching everything unfold in front of my eyes, I was actually able to face my middle school self — so hurt from the bullying, so hidden deep inside my memories. Had I not chosen a career path which open my life up to be so public, maybe I would have wanted to talk about my experiences too. But please remember, making groundless accusations and spreading those falsified information are both violent acts of bullying too. I will not be revealing the details of all the wrongness done by alleged victims, because I know exposing them that way would be bullying all the same.

— Park Hye Su

In conclusion, the actress apologized for the inconveniences which her allegations had caused on the KBS K-Drama Dear. M. She also thanked her fans who remain supportive and promised to get through the controversy.

Lastly, I would like to sincerely apologize to KBS and all Dear. M production staff and cast who have been inconvenienced by the series of these allegations made against me.

I also want to thank those who remained by my side and trusted me, even when I couldn’t make any statements about the matter. With your support, I was able to see past the pain and prepare myself for a response. It will be a long fight, but I will gladly take all the time it needs to reveal the truth. And I know this shall too pass in the end. Please, continue to see the truth for what it is. Thank you for reading this long post.

— Park Hye Su

Meanwhile, the first broadcast of the K-Drama remains postponed indefinitely.

K-Drama “Dear. M” Postponed Indefinitely After Park Hye Su’s Bullying Controversy