Broadcaster Lee Hye-seong reveals she was a victim of school violence

Broadcaster Lee Hye-seong disclosed her experience as a victim of middle school bullying in a video released on her YouTube channel on the 30th of last month. While reviewing the bestseller The Courage to Be Disliked, she offered comfort to those struggling with bullying by emphasizing that a single community does not define one's entire life.

Broadcaster Lee Hye-seong has opened up about the painful memories of her school years, revealing that she was a victim of school violence during middle school. She noted that while school is a place of growth and friendship for some, it can be a space of inescapable pain for others. Based on her own experiences, she offered warm comfort and courage to those currently struggling with bullying.

On the 30th of last month, a video titled "You Can't Be Loved by Everyone | The Courage to Be Disliked" was released on Lee Hye-seong's YouTube channel, Lee Hye-seong's 1% Book Club. In the video, Lee reviewed the bestseller The Courage to Be Disliked, discussing wounds stemming from human relationships, the pain experienced within a community, and ways to protect oneself from the evaluations of others.

She emphasized that a community does not always provide a sense of belonging and stability. "There are times when the existence of a community can hurt me. There are naturally times when a certain group bullies me and makes things difficult," Lee explained, noting that being excluded or bullied within a group can leave deep scars on an individual.

Mentioning situations where one cannot fit in with friends or faces bullying at school, she disclosed her own experience. "When I was a victim of school violence, when I was bullied or couldn't make friends, it would be unbearably painful. I have been through it too," she confessed. Her statement regarding her direct experience as a victim of school violence showed that the pain of school violence does not remain merely as a past memory or something that has simply passed.

The core point emphasized by Lee is the realization that the group one belongs to is not the entire world. "It is so important to realize that this community is not the only place where I can be," she said. Her explanation was that even if relationships break down and one feels alienated in the space of a school, those experiences do not define one's entire life.

In particular, she urged people to remember that a much wider world exists outside of school. Lee stated that once one realizes a larger world exists, the pain felt at school can be viewed as a passing experience. She suggested that even in moments when relationships with those currently bullying someone feel like the entirety of life, the possibility remains open to forming new relationships with others and finding an environment that suits oneself.

She also expressed regret when recalling her middle school days. "I couldn't think this way during middle school. There were no adults to say these things to me, and I couldn't read books like this. That is why the situation was so painful and difficult," she recalled. Her words reflect a desire to convey the comfort and advice she needed at that time to today's youth.

She emphasized to those struggling with bullying that choosing to leave their current group is also an option. "If it is too painful in a group I am in, it is not my fault, so I can break ties with that group," she said, adding, "I can join another group." Her message suggests that victims do not need to blame themselves or endure pain to maintain relationships.

"You are such a valuable person that you do not need to stay in such a trivial group. You are a person of such value that you can go to a group that fits you better and be happy. Please do not make a strange choice," she urged. Her message, which may have been what her past self experiencing school violence wanted to hear, served as comfort by reminding those isolated by bullying of the possibility of other lives.

A graduate of Seoul National University, Lee Hye-seong began her broadcasting career as a KBS announcer in the 43rd open recruitment in 2016. After leaving the network in 2020, she transitioned to a freelance broadcaster and has been active in various fields. Through this confession, she revealed a personal experience different from the intellectual image she has shown on air, highlighting the pain experienced by victims of school violence and the importance of the support they need.

Read the original (Korean)