“The Glory” Director Ahn Gil Ho’s Ex-Girlfriend Comes Forward About His School Bullying
On March 10, The Glory director Ahn Gil Ho was accused of physically assaulting younger students while attending an international school in the Philippines in 1996. An anonymous user posted their testimony on an online community, talking about Ahn’s alleged bullying, just hours before the premiere of The Glory‘s much-awaited second season on Netflix.
According to the anonymous post, Ahn was dating a junior in his school. When the OP (original poster) and his friends “teased” the girl for dating Ahn, he called them over and physically hurt them.
I do not want to cause controversy just because Ahn is doing well,” the user wrote. “I just find it absurd and unforgivable that a school bully himself would direct a television show about bringing school bullies to justice. So, I decided to make this public.
—The anonymous post
The director spoke to Yonhap News Agency on Friday and denied physically assaulting anyone during his school days in the Philippines.
It is true that I attended school in the Philippines in 1996, but I never exerted violence on anyone…I do not recall ever ganging up on someone and assaulting them.
—Ahn Gil Ho, Yonhap
But his then-girlfriend, identified as “B,” told Yonhap that the assault did occur. She clarified that her friends never teased her so badly as to warrant physical violence.
Contrary to what people think, my friends didn’t tease me to the extremes. It was more like the usual joking around and bickering among friends…If I knew my friends would be assaulted like that, I wouldn’t have told him about it at all.
—Ahn’s ex-girlfriend “B,” Yonhap
She also revealed that her friends used to tease the director by calling him “angilo,” which means “not long” in Korean. Though it might seem like sexual innuendo, according to “B,” none of them were old enough to understand sexual jokes. The term was actually used to make fun of his short legs since discussions about short and long legs were a trendy subject back then.
Another witness, who claimed that they had attended the same school as the accuser and Ahn, told the media that it was not a minor issue that the director could have possibly forgotten.
People were seriously injured after that incident,” the person said in the phone call with Yonhap. “It was a widely mentioned incident across the school at the time, and I don’t think it is possible that Ahn does not remember.
—Anonymous school-mate of Ahn, Yonhap
Following these opposing testimonies, Ahn Gil Ho’s legal team issued an apology on March 12, admitting to the accusations.
