Comedian Blanca denies rumors naming seniors in abuse case

Comedian Jeong Cheol-gyu has stepped forward to clarify rumors after the names of specific comedians were mentioned online following his confession that he was subjected to continuous verbal abuse from a senior for six years. Jeong drew a clear line, stating "It is not them," and urged the public to refrain from unverified speculation.

Recently, Jeong appeared on the YouTube channel 'NamuMiki Investigation Agency,' where he shared his experience of being subjected to long-term verbal abuse and harassment from a senior during his past career as a comedian.

Following his confession, posts speculating about the identity of the senior spread online, with some even mentioning the real names of certain comedians.

As the controversy grew, Jeong spoke out directly.

Leaving a comment on a related video posted on SNS, he stated, "Ryu Dam, Moon Joon-young, and Kim Jin-cheol are frequently mentioned, but to give you the conclusion first, it is not them."

He went on to explain his specific relationships with each individual.

Regarding Moon Joon-young, Jeong emphasized that they are not in a perpetrator-victim relationship, saying, "Woo-jin is a junior and also a close friend."

As for Ryu Dam, he stated, "I have hardly even had a conversation with him," and regarding Kim Jin-cheol, he explained, "He is someone who never nagged me, and we are still close."

He added, "Looking at this entire video, I focused on the perspective of having gone through that process in the past, overcoming it, and now living happily and diligently. I am grateful."

This is interpreted as an emphasis that his decision to share his experience was not intended to target a specific person or to drag up past conflicts.

Previously, Jeong had shared quite specific memories on a broadcast regarding the senior who harassed him at the time.

He recalled, "That senior must have hated me. Every time I came to the meeting room, they would say things like 'don't stand out' or 'I'll kill you.' It wasn't just six days; it was six years. It was so hard."

In particular, he revealed an instance where he directly asked the senior during a Gag Concert MT what he had done wrong.

Conveying his despair at the time, Jeong said, "I truly said that if I had done something wrong, I would fix it, but they replied, 'You didn't do anything wrong. I just hate you, so get lost.' I thought there was no answer to that."

He mentioned that as the situation became serious, comedian Joon Park, who was watching, even tried to intervene by saying, "Stop it. Why are you doing that to Blanca?" However, Jeong reported that the senior responded with harsh profanity instead.

The problem did not end with just unpleasant experiences on-site.

Jeong revealed that the continuous verbal abuse caused his self-esteem to drop significantly and led to insomnia. He confessed that he eventually visited a mental health clinic and took medication for depression and sleep.

Sharing his psychological pain at the time, he said, "The greatest sense of self-loathing came when I felt like a useless person who wasn't treated well anywhere. As my heart began to fall, I couldn't sleep either."

However, Jeong found a new direction in life while passing through those times. He stated that he recovered the confidence he had lost by starting exercise and working as a multicultural instructor.

The reason he revealed his past wounds was centered on telling the story of how his current self was formed through his experiences, rather than attacking a specific individual.

As such, Jeong's direct clarification denying the names of specific comedians appears to be a measure to prevent further harm. This is because identifying a person based solely on surrounding circumstances when the individual has not named them contradicts the intent of confessing his past wounds.

Jeong gained fame in 2004 through KBS2 'Gag Concert,' gaining great popularity as 'Blanca,' a character of a Sri Lankan migrant worker. Since then, he has carved out a new field by working not only in broadcasting but also as a multicultural instructor based on his own experiences.