Actress Cha Ye-ryeon’s agency has issued a second statement firmly denying school bullying allegations against her and warning of legal action, as the controversy entered its second week and her online group-buying pages returned to service.
The allegations first surfaced on October 29, when a post appeared on an online community under the title, “Please stop your activities, you are the perpetrator of school violence against an actress born in ‘85.” The author claimed to have been repeatedly bullied and physically assaulted during middle school by a female actress, and said the assaults left injuries severe enough to rupture an eardrum after being slapped. The post identified the alleged perpetrator only as a 1985-born graduate of Junggye Middle School in Seoul, and Cha Ye-ryeon was subsequently named in online speculation.
HB Entertainment denied the claims the following day, saying its checks had confirmed they were “completely groundless.” But the controversy did not subside. On November 1, the production team behind her YouTube channel, “Cha Jang-geum Cha Ye-ryeon,” announced it would disable some videos and comment sections to prevent the spread of rumors and personal attacks against her family. Two videos were later made private. Cha Ye-ryeon, who had been in the United States on a work schedule, returned to Korea on November 3.
On November 4, the agency released a second, longer statement. “We express deep regret for causing concern to fans who care for actress Cha Ye-ryeon and the public due to the recent controversy surrounding the actress online,” the statement read. “We have previously stated that the claims made online regarding actress Cha Ye-ryeon’s past are completely groundless. However, we take the current situation very seriously, as unverified claims and speculation made anonymously continue to spread, with criticism even being directed at the actress’s family.”
The agency added that it would “thoroughly collect relevant evidence regarding the malicious spread of false information and personal attacks, conduct a legal review, and take appropriate action,” and take strong measures to prevent further damage from the spread of false information.
The dispute has also spilled into Cha Ye-ryeon’s commercial activities. On the morning of November 5, the group-buying pages linked from her social media, selling items such as braised kimchi stew and aprons, showed a “page not found” message and could not be accessed, prompting speculation that the promotions had been halted over the allegations. By the afternoon, however, the pages were back online, with an additional link added to her social media page, according to TV Daily.
The allegations remain unverified. No independent evidence has been made public, and the claims rest on anonymous online posts. The agency has made clear it considers the material false and intends to pursue the matter through legal channels if the posts continue to spread. How the dispute develops now depends on whether further evidence emerges or the agency follows through on its threatened legal action.
