Actress Cha Ye-ryun faces school violence and behavioral allegations

Actress Cha Ye-ryun is facing expanding controversy following anonymous school violence allegations and claims of irritable behavior at hair salons and golf courses. While HB Entertainment has denied the school bullying claims as groundless, the agency announced on the 4th that it will take strong legal measures against the spread of malicious false information.

Controversy is expanding around actress Cha Ye-ryun as school violence allegations are followed by additional claims regarding her attitude in private spaces. Following anonymous claims that she was a perpetrator of bullying during her school years, netizens have also emerged with accounts of witnessing her behavior at hair salons and golf courses, intensifying online debate. However, all currently raised claims are based on anonymous posts and comments and have not been verified as factual.

Recently, a post was shared on online communities and social media by a netizen who claimed to have used the same hair salon in Cheongdam-dong as Cha Ye-ryun approximately 17 years ago. The author claimed that after Cha finished washing her hair, she suddenly became irritable when staff members tried to dry it, snatching the hairdryer to dry her own hair. The poster wrote, "To my eyes, it appeared as if she treated the staff with disregard or as if they were emotional trash cans," adding, "I thought someone would report this, but it is only now coming to light."

Another netizen, who claimed to have worked as a staff member at the hair salon at that time, made similar claims. Recalling the experience, they said, "Snatching the hairdryer in sudden irritation was basic," and "It was a mental wound at a young age." They added, "I only thought she had become kind after getting married." Another netizen who claimed to have seen Cha Ye-ryun at the salon during the same period joined the controversy, commenting, "I remember thinking why she would come to a hair salon if she was going to do her own hair."

The allegations surrounding Cha Ye-ryun began with a post about school violence uploaded to an online community on the 29th of last month. In the post, titled "Please stop the activities of the '85-born actress school violence perpetrator," the author demanded an apology, claiming they were subjected to continuous bullying and physical assault by an actress born in 1985 during middle school. The controversy intensified as Cha Ye-ryun was identified as the actress in question online.

The agency, HB Entertainment, immediately denied the allegations. At the time, the agency drew a line against the school violence claims, stating, "Upon verification, it is groundless." However, the controversy entered a new phase on the 30th of last month when a netizen, introducing themselves as a former caddy, left a comment on the initial exposé. The individual claimed to have been in charge of golf rounds for a group that included Cha Ye-ryun around 2012–2013, stating that she showed an irritable and dismissive attitude at the time.

The caddy specifically added that Cha Ye-ryun spoke in a polite tone when taking phone calls during rounds, suggesting her attitude varied depending on the person. As posts questioning her past daily behavior follow the school violence allegations, the debate has spread to her character online. However, as these are also claims from anonymous authors, they cannot be concluded as objective facts.

The controversy has also created additional pressure as it has spread beyond the actress to her family. It has been reported that comments demanding explanations or criticizing the family have been posted on the social media account of her husband, actor Joo Sang-wook. The production team of Cha Ye-ryun's YouTube channel announced that they would deactivate some videos and comment sections to prevent the indiscriminate spread of rumors and personal attacks against the family.

Access to the initial post regarding the school violence allegations was restricted via temporary measures on the 2nd. However, temporary measures are merely a procedure to temporarily suspend the exposure of a post and are not a judgment on the truth of the exposé. It is clear that a distinction must be made between the spread of allegations online and the determination of actual facts.

The agency released an additional statement on the 4th, reiterating its policy of strong response. HB Entertainment emphasized, "We take the current situation, where unverified claims and speculations raised anonymously are repeatedly spreading and criticism is being directed toward the actress's family, very seriously." They continued, "We will thoroughly secure relevant materials regarding the distribution of malicious false information and personal attacks, and respond responsibly through legal review. We will take strong measures to ensure that damage from the spread of false information does not increase further."

As the controversy, which began with school violence allegations, expands to include past anecdotes from hair salons and golf courses, public opinion surrounding Cha Ye-ryun is becoming increasingly complex. With continuous anonymous exposés and the agency's announcement of legal action, attention is focused on how the specific facts will be revealed in the future.

Read the original (Korean)