"It is all false": K-drama actor Ji Soo opens up about his alleged bullying scandal for the first time after two years

On Monday, October 23, the K-drama actor Ji Soo sat down with the Korean media outlet Sports Chosun to talk about his recent life updates following his return from his mandatory military enlistment. As the idol discussed several topics, he also inevitably covered the alleged bullying accusation surrounding the actor. In 2021, he was accused of being a bully and perpetrator of s*xual violence during the second year of middle school through an alleged fellow student's confession.

Given the weight of the accusation, the actor received much backlash for the controversy and was also terminated from his contract with the entertainment agency KeyEast. While Ji Soo restrained from addressing the issue in its totality back in 2021, the idol's recent interview with Sports Chosun has the idol claiming his innocence concerning the bullying and other allegations.

He started off his statement with,

"I have never done that before. Does something like that happen in reality? It is all false."

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K-drama actor Ji Soo opens up about his alleged bullying scandal, claiming innocence

In 2021, following a confession letter released by Ji Soo's classmate claiming the actor's alleged bullying and s*xual violence in his middle school, much criticism was directed at him. However, his former agency, KeyEast, denied all accusations and presented him as not guilty of the allegations raised by his former classmates. Regardless, the actor released a letter apologizing for his delinquent behavior without admitting or denying the accusations.

These naturally resulted in many backslashes for the actor, including him being fired from his previous K-drama, River Where The Moon Rises, and the following termination of the contract with his agency. While Ji Soo could not address the issue further due to his military enlistment, his recent interview with Sports Chosun after his return presents a more detailed perspective of the allegations.

The actor stated,

"I went to a middle school that was a bit far from my house. When I was in seventh grade, I was treated like a stranger. At the end of eighth grade, my friend was bullied by a group of students, so I gave them a strong warning. As a result, I was beaten up by a group of them."

Ji Soo continued,

"They came and apologized to me, and naturally I ended up getting along with them. At that time, I also did have some bad feelings towards them, but I thought it would help make my school life more comfortable. I was close with them, but I did not bully or assault anyone."

The actor explained that he met with his former classmates who made the allegations to bring a conclusion to the controversy.

"I met with 'A' and talked with him for a long time. He thought I ostracized him from the other students because I was close with 'B,' a student who was involved in the gift certificate theft. It’s true I was close to 'B' at that time."

Ji Soo continued,

"So I think 'A' thought I was involved in the incident. We talked about the misunderstandings and we resolved the issue, that I was not involved. It was not something I did, but I apologized because I was close to 'B.' I would like to once again apologize to 'A'and other school friends that I hurt.""

He also added why he couldn't adequately explain the situation to the masses and his fans.

"At that time, (River Where the Moon Rises) was being broadcast. I had to apologize quickly and drop out of the show. My military enlistment notice was already sent, so I could not explain myself properly and I just joined the military. It has already been two years."

In addition to the actor's statement, Sports Chosun also talked with the accusor 'A' and how they've forgiven the actor for his actions and apologized for raising false accusations.

"We have made up well with each other and now we are cheering for each other. I hope Ji Soo does well again."

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With the actor, Ji Soo, being further cleared up of his controversy, fans hope for his return to the industry.