Jo Byeong Gyu Writes Post In Response To School Violence Accuser Claiming To Have Been Threatened By Agency

Mar 10, 2021

Jo Byeong Gyu has spoken up in response to one of the online users accusing him of school violence.

On February 16, someone called “A” uploaded a post online claiming to have been bullied by Jo Byeong Gyu while they were at school in New Zealand together. The next day, Jo Byeong Gyu’s agency requested a police investigation into the post for spreading false rumors, and it was later revealed that the creator of the post had apologized and taken their post down. Since then, the actor has been accused by two other online users (“B” and “D“) and defended by another (known as “C”) claiming to be his classmate. On February 19, HB Entertainment denied all claims of school violence and announced legal action, and on February 23, Jo Byeong Gyu personally addressed the allegations.

On March 10, “D” shared a post on his Instagram outlining what has happened until now after he posted the accusation.

“D” stated that on February 21, he was contacted by a former classmate about a photo “D” used without asking the classmate for permission. Through this classmate, “D” was contacted by HB Entertainment’s legal representative, who demanded “an unthinkable amount” in damages and told him to take down the posts and upload an apology letter. “D” explained that he had wanted to sign an agreement, write an apology, and leave it at that, but the next day, the agency told him through the classmate, “Upload the apology letter first without an agreement. The damage is extensive, and you may need to pay damages depending on the result. The later you upload the apology, the greater the harm that will be done.” “D” then consulted with a lawyer acquaintance and decided not to write the apology.

“D” mentioned a certain user, whom he calls “W,” who continuously sent him DMs since February 24. “W” seemed to know what was happening around “D” and sent malicious messages to “D” and those around him. “D” ignored the messages until March 4, when “D” replied that he would write another post based on the truth to counter the agency’s claims, and the DMs stopped. In his Instagram post, “D” suspected that “W” was related to HB Entertainment and asked the agency to reveal whether this was true.

“D” also requested that the agency clarify why a letter sent by their lawyer mentioned “a group of accomplices” when “D” was a single individual making the accusations on his own. “D” further requested that the agency publicly prove everything.

In the post, “D” also shared that he had lost his job due to the stress caused by the situation.

The same day, Jo Byeong Gyu uploaded a post on his Instagram in response to “D.” Read it below:

I was firmly determined to no longer react to malicious anonymous posts, but I just can’t tolerate this. That is why I’m writing his post.

Just how am I supposed to prove something that isn’t true? How do I remember and prove the things that happened 11 or even up to 16 years ago? That’s right. I’m not someone who has never hurt anyone, and I didn’t get along with everyone like a saint while growing up. At times, people took my money away just because I was small, and there have been times when I was assaulted. Does that make me a victim now?

I believe that school is a place for students who have not yet formed a sense of self to experience trial and error, conflicts, and lessons to become a good adult and member of society. I have also gone through trial and error, conflicts, and lessons.

However, it was within legal, moral, and ethical boundaries. I will not deny that. Why do I have to apologize about a time when hadn’t yet dreamed of being an actor and a childhood that isn’t true just because of my job and responsibilities as an actor? If this is a problem, I apologize. I’m sorry.

I was not close to everyone in every grade at every school I went to, and I was not friends with everyone either. I was close with a handful of kids, and my friends were really good people. My small social network and my negligence to those unrelated to me must have been the problem. My 10-year career has already collapsed, and all of the projects I was scheduled to participate in have been put on hold. The damage amounts to a number I can’t describe. The mental damage? Ever since the accusations, I keep my eyes glued to the ground when I go out, and I haven’t slept for weeks.

Is my post an attempt to arouse sympathy while the post made by the anonymous person whose face we don’t even know is genuine?

The agency and lawyer never pressured the person using money, and if that felt like a threat, how did we send a certification of contents and share updates on the situation with you, an anonymous person living abroad?

You contacted us first through your acquaintance and lawyer, and you asked for leniency first. Why would you send a letter of apology through an acquaintance and ask a lawyer for their opinion? I don’t understand why you’re changing your stance just because you’re unsure of whether you’ll be shown leniency when it would have barely been enough if you had done it of your own accord, just as you did when you uploaded the anonymous post, before asking for leniency. And do not put the blame on others when you were fired due to your lack of diligence. This person already knows very well that I will be harmed even more if this issue continues to be consumed as gossip.

“Accomplices,” I think you know better than anyone else why it was worded that way.

Nothing matters anymore. Thank you for letting me respond to you empty-handed, in the same position as you. I do not want to cause further damage to the people I care about and my agency, and I don’t want them to go through a hard time anymore.

I wanted to maintain at least some of my dignity, but I am human, and this has taken a toll on me. I am putting everything down and sharing everything in order to protect myself.

I will take this matter against those who spread false posts and malicious comments until the end.