Cha Ye-ryun's business and YouTube activities disrupted by school violence claims

Actress Cha Ye-ryun's food and kitchenware sales pages became inaccessible on the 5th as her YouTube production team deactivated videos and comment sections to prevent rumors following allegations of school violence and power abuse. While HB Entertainment has denied the groundless claims, the controversy has spread from an online community post on the 29th of last month to her personal business ventures.

Actress Cha Ye-ryun has denied all allegations of school violence and power abuse, but the fallout from the controversy is spreading to her online activities and business ventures. The group purchase pages for food and kitchenware, which she has promoted through her social media, are currently inaccessible.

As of the 5th, the food and kitchenware sales pages linked to Cha Ye-ryun's social media profile are not opening normally. Cha Ye-ryun has previously used Instagram to introduce and sell products through collaborations with external companies, including a link in her profile for "perilla oil kimchi stew apron" purchases. However, as the page is currently inaccessible, observations have emerged that the group purchases she participated in have effectively been suspended. The specific reason for the page being inaccessible or any official explanation from the companies has not been confirmed.

Cha Ye-ryun has communicated with the public through her YouTube channel "Cha Jang-geum Cha Ye-ryeon," where she shares cooking and household management tips. Based on content featuring her own name, she has consistently introduced food and kitchenware products. As her online activities, which combine her image as an actress with cooking content, served as her primary communication channel and product promotion tool, attention is focused on how the recent controversy will affect these activities.

The controversy began with a post uploaded to an online community on the 29th of last month. The author claimed to have been bullied and assaulted during middle school by an actress born in 1985, alleging continuous harassment and damage such as a ruptured eardrum caused by being slapped. Although the post did not explicitly state her real name, the allegations spread as Cha Ye-ryun was identified based on information such as her birth year and school of origin.

HB Entertainment, Cha Ye-ryun's agency, has completely denied the allegations, stating, "Upon verification, these claims are groundless." However, conflicting testimonies from netizens claiming to be former classmates have followed online, and additional allegations of power abuse from a former caddy who claimed to have met Cha Ye-ryun at a golf course have also emerged. The factual accuracy of these claims has not been confirmed, and Cha Ye-ryun's side continues to deny the allegations.

The controversy has also affected her personal YouTube channel. On the 1st, the production team of "Cha Jang-geum Cha Ye-ryeon" announced a policy to deactivate some videos and comment sections. The production team explained, "We encountered this matter while on a schedule in the United States with actress Cha Ye-ryun," adding, "We will deactivate some videos and comment sections to prevent the indiscriminate spread of rumors and personal attacks against her family." It has since been confirmed that two YouTube videos were actually set to private.

Cha Ye-ryun reportedly returned to Korea on the 3rd after completing her schedule in the United States. Following her return, the agency released an additional official statement on the 4th, increasing the intensity of its response. HB Entertainment reaffirmed its previous position, stating, "We have previously conveyed the position that the claims regarding actress Cha Ye-ryun's past raised online are 'groundless'."

The agency continued, "We take very seriously the current situation where unverified claims and speculations raised anonymously are repeatedly spreading and criticism is being directed even toward the actress's family." It also emphasized, "Regarding the malicious spread of false information and personal attacks, we will thoroughly secure relevant materials and respond responsibly through legal review."

As the claims of the parties involved regarding the school violence allegations conflict, the impact of the controversy is growing with changes appearing in Cha Ye-ryun's online content and group purchase activities. However, it has not yet been confirmed whether the inaccessibility of the sales page and the suspension of group purchases are directly related to these allegations. As the agency has announced legal action, attention is focused on the factual accuracy of the claims and further official positions.

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