The reason Cho Byung Gyu stayed silent for two years after being accused of school violence four times
“The Uncanny Counter 2” actor Cho Byung Gyu reportedly made efforts for 2 years to restore his honor from the school violence scandal.
According to Tenasia’s report on July 21st, Cho Byung Kyu decided to make a bold move after the person who accused him of school violence in the past refused to cooperate with the summon investigation because he was living in New Zealand. The actor reportedly looked into the details of the school violence disclosures himself to proceed with a civil lawsuit in New Zealand even if it cost him approximately 1.2 billion won.
Cho Byung Gyu made his debut in 2015 through KBS2’s drama “School 2015” then made his name known to the public after starring in JTBC’s “SKY Castle” (2018), SBS’s “Hot Stove League” (2019), and OCN’s “The Uncanny Counter”.
Cho Byung Gyu faced school violence allegations four times, one in 2018 and the other three on February 16th, 17th, and 19th of 2021.
First, in December 2018, a person claimed to have attended the same school as Cho Byung Gyu in New Zealand, and disclosed, “I was 16 years old back then. Cho Byung Gyu and his friends verbally abused me during lunchtime because I didn’t respond to their provocative words.”
In response to the suspicion, Cho Byung Gyu’s side stated, “We were aware of the posts about school violence, but we decided to remain silent, as we believed that the discloser was only trying to attract attention. The actor understands that some friends at school wanted to create issues about him for attention because he’s an actor. If these groundless rumors intensified, we would officially clarify the situation after Cho Byung Gyu’s current project ended”. Later, the first accuser deleted their post.
On February 16th, 2021, the second discloser claimed that they were verbally abused by Cho Byung Gyu during the time the actor was studying abroad in New Zealand. However, on the next day, February 17th, 2021, they admitted that the claim was fake and asked for leniency from Cho Byung Gyu’s side.
Also on the 17th, the third accuser came forward, claiming that they experienced Cho Byung Gyu’s school violence during their elementary and middle school years before Cho Byung Gyu went to New Zealand to study.
Later on February 19th of the same year, the fourth discloser claimed to be a victim of Cho Byung Gyu’s school violence actions, saying, “I had to buy him food and pay for karaoke fees, and he even hit me with an umbrella on a rainy day.” This person added, “I am being pressured by Cho Byung Gyu’s agency for compensation for damages, so I demand a formal public verification.”
In response to continuous school violence allegations, Cho Byung Gyu’s agency HB Entertainment stated, “We have announced our intention to take legal action against those who spread false information, malicious slander, and defamation posts that damage the actor’s reputation.” They added, “We have requested a police investigation into those who posted indiscriminate false information with malicious intention against actor Cho Byung Gyu”, claiming Cho Byung Gyu’s innocence.
Cho Byung Gyu also released an explanation on his own SNS account and complained of unfairness, saying “I was completely bewildered when the first false allegation was posted, and I felt so unfair. Even after receiving a request for leniency the next day, it was difficult for me to shake off the sense of injustice. I have never engaged in violence during my elementary school days. Like everyone else, there were friends I was close to and not close to. Why did I become the target every time when there was a school violence accusation and have to explain myself over and over again? I already reported all the malicious posts to the police for investigation, so please be patient.”
Overcoming all controversies, Cho Byung Kyu made his return through TVING short film “School Caste” last year and joined the cast of “The Uncanny Counter 2”, which is scheduled to premiere on July 29th.
“The Uncanny Counter 2” is a sequel to Season 1 released on OCN in 2020. It centers around devil hunters, known as Counters, who disguised themselves as noodle store employees to catch evil spirits on Earth.
Source: Wikitree
