School violence allegations against Cha Ye-ryun spark concerns for her daughter

Actress Cha Ye-ryun's agency, HB Entertainment, denied anonymous allegations of middle school bullying on the 30th of last month. The controversy emerged one month after the actress revealed her daughter's face in a September 23 family pictorial, leading to online concerns regarding the child's emotional well-being.

As school violence allegations surrounding actress Cha Ye-ryun escalate into a dispute over the truth, attention is shifting toward her family. In particular, because the allegations surfaced about a month after she first revealed her daughter's face—having previously been careful to avoid showing her—concerns are growing online that the child may suffer unnecessary emotional harm. Some netizens have even drawn comparisons to the drama 'The Glory' while monitoring the impact of the controversy.

The allegations began with an anonymous post uploaded to an online community on the 29th of last month. Titled "Please stop acting, school violence perpetrator actress born in '85," the author claimed to have been subjected to continuous bullying and physical assault by a specific actress during middle school. As clues such as being born in 1985 and being an alumna of Junggye Middle School were provided, Cha Ye-ryun was identified as the individual in question online.

The author of the post claimed to have been assaulted in buildings near the school, including suffering a ruptured eardrum after being struck in the cheek. The author demanded an apology, stating that despite the long passage of time, they still suffer from the memories of the incident. However, the actress's real name was not directly specified in the post, and the contents of the disclosure have not been objectively verified to date.

HB Entertainment, Cha Ye-ryun's agency, stated on the 30th of last month that the allegations are "groundless." Despite the agency's denial, conflicting reactions continue to emerge online. As individuals claiming to be former classmates have come forward with additional claims, the controversy has expanded beyond an anonymous disclosure into a battle over the truth regarding past school life.

In this process, voices of concern for Cha Ye-ryun's family, especially her daughter, have emerged. Cha Ye-ryun married actor Joo Sang-wook in 2017 and had a daughter the following year. While she had previously been cautious about exposing her daughter's face, showing only her back or profile on social media, she first presented her daughter's face through a family pictorial released by the fashion magazine Harper's BAZAAR Korea on September 23.

In the pictorial, Cha Ye-ryun posed naturally with her daughter, holding her or looking into the camera together. The lovely appearance of the child, who resembles her mother, and the affectionate atmosphere of the three family members drew interest. However, with the school violence allegations arising only about a month after the family pictorial was released, reactions have followed online expressing concern that the controversy might spread to her minor daughter.

Netizens have reacted with comments such as "What did the daughter do wrong?" and "I hope the child doesn't get hurt," pointing out that the controversy surrounding a parent should be viewed separately from the life of their child. Some opinions suggested that if the allegations are untrue, a clear explanation should be provided to block unnecessary speculation. Conversely, there are reactions stating that the voices of those claiming to be victims should not be dismissed lightly.

Some have used expressions reminiscent of the drama 'The Glory,' noting the timing of the daughter's face being revealed and the emergence of the school violence allegations. This metaphor stems from the fact that the drama's main subject involves a person identified as a school violence perpetrator and their family. However, this is merely a reaction formed online and cannot be seen as evidence supporting the truth of the allegations or the circumstances of the incident.

School violence is an issue that can leave long-lasting and difficult-to-recover wounds on victims. Therefore, the raised allegations must be carefully verified based on concrete evidence and the positions of the parties involved. At the same time, there are calls to guard against labeling individuals or directing criticism toward minor children while the facts remain unconfirmed. It has been noted that the privacy of the family, particularly the safety and emotional protection of the child, which is unrelated to the process of uncovering the truth, should be respected separately.

Read the original (Korean)