Cha Ye-ryun denies groundless school violence allegations

HB Entertainment denied online allegations that actress Cha Ye-ryun was involved in school violence on the 30th, following an anonymous post about a 1985-born actress. The controversy has resurfaced remarks made by her husband, Joo Sang-wook, three months ago regarding his hypothetical stance on his daughter's school life.

Actress Cha Ye-ryun has been embroiled in allegations of past school violence, but her agency has drawn a line, stating the claims are groundless. In conjunction with this, remarks made by her husband, Joo Sang-wook, approximately three months ago—where he discussed hypothetical school violence involving his second-grade elementary school daughter—are drawing renewed attention. He maintained a firm stance that if his daughter were involved in school violence, whether as a perpetrator or a victim, he might not allow her to continue attending that school.

HB Entertainment, the agency representing Cha Ye-ryun, stated on the 30th that upon investigation, the school violence allegations spreading online are "groundless." Previously, on the 29th, a post was uploaded to an online community claiming that an actress born in 1985 had been bullied and assaulted during middle school. Although the author did not disclose the actress's real name, the controversy spread as some netizens identified Cha Ye-ryun based on her birth year and school.

However, Cha Ye-ryun's real name was not directly mentioned in the post, and a connection between the claims in the post and Cha Ye-ryun has not been confirmed. As the agency has denied the allegations, it is necessary to distinguish between the anonymous exposure and the speculation surrounding it.

Amidst this, comments made by Joo Sang-wook during an interview following the conclusion of the SBS drama 'Agent Kim Reactivated' on July 27 are gaining interest again. At the time, he played Joo Gang-chan, a representative of a construction company. Joo Gang-chan was a character who, even after learning that his daughter Joo Hye-ri (Yoo Ji-an) was a perpetrator of school violence, attempted to cover up the incident to protect her.

Joo Sang-wook stated that while he could understand the paternal love of the character, he could not agree with the act of hiding a child's wrongdoing. He remarked, "In reality, that makes no sense," implying that no matter how much one loves their child, one should not ignore or cover up their mistakes. He emphasized responsibility for a child's actions by distinguishing between dramatic settings and the role of a real-life parent.

In reality, Joo Sang-wook is married to Cha Ye-ryun and is raising a daughter in the second grade of elementary school. During that interview, he also expressed special affection for his daughter. He revealed that he spends a lot of time with her in daily life, such as putting her to bed himself and taking her to school. He shared an anecdote that when asked whether she likes her mother or father more, she answers "both," but when asked who is scarier, she chooses her mother without hesitation.

As such, he showed a cautious yet firm attitude toward questions regarding his daughter's school life. When asked how he would react if his actual daughter were involved in a school violence incident, Joo Sang-wook replied, "Just thinking about it makes me dizzy." He continued that if such an incident occurred, whether she were the perpetrator or the victim, he would take extraordinary measures.

In particular, the response he mentioned went beyond simple admonishment or apology to include the matter of changing schools. Joo Sang-wook stated that if his daughter were involved in school violence, "I don't think I would just let her continue attending that school." This is interpreted as his belief that if a child is a perpetrator, they must take clear responsibility for their wrongdoing, and if they are a victim, an environment must be provided to protect the child.

However, Joo Sang-wook clarified at the time that his daughter is in the second grade of elementary school and that there had been no special incidents regarding school violence. His remarks were not a confession that a problem had actually occurred with his daughter, but rather a response to a hypothetical school violence situation as a parent. There is no evidence to directly link the current allegations regarding Cha Ye-ryun to Joo Sang-wook's past interview.

With Cha Ye-ryun's side fully denying the allegations, speculation surrounding the anonymous online exposure should be handled cautiously based on the party's position and confirmed facts. It is also reasonable to view Joo Sang-wook's past remarks not as a stance on the current allegations, but as an interview expressing the responsibilities and principles of a parent facing school violence issues involving a child.

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