Ji Soo, Song Ha-yoon and Kim Garam: Shocking Updates on Celebrities in Self-Reflection Due to School Violence Controversies
Actor Ji Soo’s former agency KeyEast was ordered to pay about 1.4 billion won in damages to a drama production company by a court ruling on July 25th due to the controversy over school violence involving Ji Soo
Following the news of this ruling, online communities have shown renewed interest in the current status of celebrities who were embroiled in school violence scandals and are now in a period of self-reflection.
◆ Actor Ji Soo: 1.4 Billion Won Compensation
Actor Ji Soo was playing the lead role of On Dal in KBS2’s Monday-Tuesday drama “River Where the Moon Rises” when, in March 2021, allegations of his involvement in school violence surfaced on an online community, leading to his removal from the broadcast.
Several netizens posted on the online community Nate Pann, revealing their experiences of being bullied by Ji Soo. Shocking claims included, “He urinated in a classroom trash can“, “He slapped me on the subway because he was in a bad mood during a school field trip in middle school” and “He made me take exams on his behalf.“
Ji Soo later issued a handwritten apology, admitting, “It was unforgivable behavior. I sincerely apologize to everyone who was hurt.“
At the time, “River Where the Moon Rises” had already completed filming 18 out of 20 episodes, and six episodes featuring Ji Soo had aired. The production company Victory Contents was forced to recast the main character with actor Na In-woo and reshoot all the episodes.
Victory Contents then filed a lawsuit against KeyEast, Ji Soo’s former agency, seeking 3 billion won in damages for the additional production costs incurred due to the recast.
On July 25th, the Seoul Central District Court’s Civil Division 31 ruled partially in favor of Victory Contents, ordering KeyEast to pay 1.42 billion won plus interest to the plaintiff.
◆ “Marry My Husband” Actress Song Ha-yoon: Once Rising, Now in Scandal
Earlier this year, tvN’s drama “Marry My Husband” achieved success with a peak viewership rating of 12% according to Nielsen Korea. Song Ha-yoon played the antagonist Jeong Su-min, who envies and wants to take everything from the protagonist Kang Ji-won (played by Park Min-young).
Song Ha-yoon received great praise from the public for her portrayal of the conniving Jeong Su-min. Her character was so well-received that she seemed to be outshining the lead actress Park Min-young, leading many to believe she was on the brink of a career peak. However, she was soon caught up in a school violence scandal.
In April, a whistleblower known as “A” claimed that Song Ha-yoon, who was A’s senior in high school, had slapped them repeatedly for 90 minutes for no reason. Despite denials from Song Ha-yoon’s agency, more allegations from other victims surfaced.
One woman claimed, “I was beaten so badly (by Song Ha-yoon) that I received a medical diagnosis requiring over four weeks of treatment. Afterward, Song Ha-yoon was forced to transfer to another school, something that all her classmates knew about.”
Following the scandal, Song Ha-yoon has not been able to continue her activities in the entertainment industry. This contrasts sharply with her co-star Lee Yi-kyung, who also played a villain in the drama and has continued to enjoy great success on variety shows.
◆ Former LE SSERAFIM Member Kim Garam: From Rising Star to Silence
Kim Garam, a member of the group LE SSERAFIM, which was highly anticipated even before their debut as HYBE’s first girl group, quickly gained attention for her striking visuals when her profile pictures were released.
However, her popularity was short-lived as she soon became embroiled in a school violence scandal.
Posts began circulating in online communities, claiming that Kim Garam had bullied several students and had engaged in underage drinking and smoking during her middle school years. The controversy over school violence rapidly escalated.
In the end, HYBE terminated their exclusive contract with Kim Garam in 2022, leading to her departure from LE SSERAFIM.
While the group seemed to face a crisis with her departure, LE SSERAFIM went on to achieve great popularity after their debut.
In contrast, Kim Garam has disappeared from the public eye, with no updates on her whereabouts since the scandal forced her to give up her dreams.
