Cha Ye-ryun removes group purchase links amid school violence allegations

Actress Cha Ye-ryun has removed group purchase links for kimchi stew and aprons from her personal account as of the afternoon of the 11th. The change follows an anonymous exposé on the 29th of last month alleging school violence, which HB Entertainment has denied as groundless.

Actress Cha Ye-ryun, who has denied all allegations of school violence, has undergone another change 13 days after the controversy began. The group purchase links for kimchi stew and aprons that she had been operating on her personal account have disappeared. As the controversy persists and criticism extends to her family, attention is focused on changes detected in her online activities and commercial content. However, the specific reason for the removal of the group purchase links has not yet been confirmed.

As of the afternoon of the 11th, accessing Cha Ye-ryun's account shows that the previously active group purchase links for kimchi stew and aprons are no longer visible. Currently, only her personal channel remains on the account. While various online reactions have followed since the school violence allegations surfaced, leading to interpretations regarding the removal of these links, there has been no official explanation directly connecting the deletion to the controversy.

The controversy surrounding Cha Ye-ryun began with an exposé posted online on the 29th of last month. The author of the post claimed to have been continuously bullied by an actress born in 1985 during middle school, alleging that the bullying resulted in damage to their eardrum. The impact grew as suspicions were raised that actress Cha Ye-ryun was the perpetrator of the school violence based on the contents of the post. However, these claims are based on the author's assertions and the facts have not been verified.

Cha Ye-ryun's side moved to immediately refute the claims as the suspicions spread. On the 30th of last month, her agency, HB Entertainment, stated that the allegations of school violence are "groundless." However, as the related controversy continued online and criticism toward the actress did not subside, the agency released a second statement on the 4th.

HB Entertainment stated, "We express deep regret for causing concern to fans and the public due to the recent controversy regarding Cha Ye-ryun online." They emphasized, "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." The agency officially expressed concern regarding the spread of unverified suspicions and attacks against her family.

Despite the two statements from the agency, the controversy has not easily subsided. Online criticism has spread not only to Cha Ye-ryun, the subject of the suspicion, but also to her family, placing a burden on those around her. The production team of the YouTube channel 'Cha Jang-geum Cha Ye-ryeon has set some videos to private and disabled the comment sections. As communication through content has also been restricted, the aftermath of the controversy appears to be spreading to her overall personal activities.

The removal of the group purchase links is also drawing attention as a confirmed change occurring amidst this situation. The group purchases for products such as kimchi stew and aprons were among the activities conducted on Cha Ye-ryun's personal account, but those links have now disappeared. However, it remains unknown whether the removal of the links is a response to the controversy or based on separate operational decisions. Rather than concluding the unconfirmed background, attention is focused on whether Cha Ye-ryun's side will provide further explanations.

Cha Ye-ryun, who debuted in the 2005 film Voice, has continued her career as an actress appearing in various works such as the dramas Gold Mask and Battle for Happiness. She married actor Joo Sang-wook in 2017 and has a child. As she has expanded her connection with the public through various methods including cooking content and group purchases alongside her acting career, interest is also focused on how this controversy will affect her future activities.

The school violence allegations, which began with an anonymous exposé, continue to lead to online controversy despite the agency's denial and additional statements. With the removal of Cha Ye-ryun's group purchase links and the restriction of YouTube content confirmed, attention is on how far the impact of the controversy will spread. However, as the truth of the suspicions has not yet been verified, whether the objective facts and the additional responses of the parties involved will determine the direction of this situation remains a key variable.

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