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When Nam Joo Hyuk first faced allegations of bullying, many fans were shocked. It was only after Nam Joo Hyuk’s label Management Soop released a fiery statement rebuking the allegations that fans were able to sigh in relief.
Fans had taken into account that the original allegations were made to a tabloid outlet rather than a more reputable news outlet.
Also, the original allegations had some inconsistencies. For example, the accuser alleged being bullied by the actor for six years when they only went to school together for three.
Fans believed that this case was shut and closed when the original accuser then changed their story and stated that it wasn’t them but a friend of theirs that had been bullied.
All facts seemed to point to the actor’s innocence.
Fans of the actor were then rocked when another former classmate accused the actor of bullying them.
On June 28, in an exclusive report by Kyung Hyang Newspaper, the news outlet alleged that another former schoolmate had come forward with accusations that the actor bullied him.
During high school, Nam Joo Hyuk bullied me with violence and abusive language. I forgot the pain of the past for a while, but it returned when I saw him on TV.
— Former Schoolmate
The second allegations were even more shocking and graphic than the first accounts.
If I refused Nam Joo Hyuk’s request or he did not like the group, he would designate a sparring partner for me and make us fight. His group would make a ring around me, and the opponent and we would have to fight.
— Former Schoolmate
More concerning was that the accuser had come forward despite learning that the actor’s label had sued the original accuser.
I also saw in the article that Nam Joo Hyuk denied the school violence and sued person B. It is painful to think about the pain of the past, and I am living a normal life now, but seeing my friend being sued made me stand up too. I wish he would acknowledge the mistakes of the past and stop working. It hurts so much every time I see him.
— Former Schoolmate
The label has denied these allegations in a statement made to Kyung Hyang Sports.
We have confirmed the allegations made by the informant, and all of the claims are groundless. Even if the position of the actor and the company is that it is groundless and this is published in an article, the actor and the actor’s family are the ones who are ultimately harmed by the article, so we ask that you please understand this.
— Management Soop
Netizens reacted to the news. In a post that has been viewed 240K times, netizens wrote their thoughts on the latest accusations.
I know a lot of people pointed out that the timing of the accusations was random but isn’t that at the discretion of the victim? Park Kyung’s bullying accusation occurred after his prime as well. But seeing that Nam Joo Hyuk’s stock is at an all-time high due to Twenty-Five Twenty-One, it shouldn’t be too surprising.
— Netizen
Another netizen pointed out the actor’s close friendship with actor Ji Soo who was also involved in bullying accusations.
If it is true, it would be funny.
— Nam Joo Hyuk
Other netizens reacted to the news with disappointment.
- “But if you look at the accusations, there isn’t any major abuse. Instead, the accuser lists many of the things that I have seen real school bullies do to bully classmates. From bread shuttle to hot-spot shuttle, forcing someone to fight others, these are all things that I’ve seen bullies do in real life.”
- “He’s gone as soon as he rises; that’s why you should have been kinder in life.”
- “But don’t real low-lives bully in High School? In Middle School, you have kids that act up, but they usually get their act together in High School.”
- “I’ve seen so many idols and actors who have been dragged down by bullying allegations, so I am trying to be neutral, but it is unfortunate that another accuser has emerged.”
- “The time he complained about Suzy’s breath, the time he hoped a dentist would lose his practice, being friends with Seungri, these are all evidence of his true personality.”
- “The fact that the original accuser’s parents know about the bullying when usually victims of bullying hide it from their parents shows the severity of the abuse.”
What are your thoughts? Stay tuned for updates.
