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In a surprising turn of events, it turns out that the previously reported statement from Kim Dong Hee’s lawyer saying the actor was found innocent of school bullying charges is false. After months of denying the charges, the actor finally admitted to the allegations and has written an official apology.
Back in February 2020, the Extracurricular actor was accused of being a bully back in elementary school by an anonymous netizen on an online forum. Titled "Actor Kim Dong Hee born in 1999 was a school violence perpetrator," the post contained testimonies of netizens claiming to be Kim Dong Hee’s former classmates. The writer of the post used the actor’s graduation pictures as evidence for the accusation.
Another individual corroborated the original post, claiming that the actor was also known for physically abusing and hitting classmates who had disabilities, and for smoking e-cigarettes in class. He said:
“Kim Dong Hee hung an e-cigarette around his neck or kept it in the pocket of his school uniform, and he smoked inside the classroom. He slapped the face of a fellow student who has a disability by playing games to their disadvantage, and he made people who were pushovers massage him.”
Kim Dong Hee admitted to school bullying charges after denying the same for months
All this while, the actor and his agency have been denying the charges. In December, the actor’s lawyer even claimed that Kim Dong Hee had been found innocent of all charges. The actor’s recent actions, however, prove the narrative false.
On January 13, Kim Dong Hee released an official apology via his agency NPIO Entertainment. Admitting to the charges, the actor gave a detailed description of how the sequence of events supposedly took place:
"Hello, this is Kim Dong Hee.
"I would like to tell you my position on the issue reported yesterday.
"When I was in the fifth grade of elementary school, I got into an argument with my classmate in the classroom, and it eventually turned into a fight. [Afterward], I got punished by my teacher. When my mother heard the news, she scolded me a lot and took me to that classmate’s house where I apologized to him and his mother.
"Later on, not only did we attend tutoring classes together, but I also ate dinner with him and his family. We spent a lot of time together without any problems, so I thought they had forgiven me. I didn’t know that I was the only one who had thought that. I didn’t realize that they were still hurt by it.
"After the post was uploaded last year, I wanted to apologize to my friend immediately, but I couldn’t muster up the courage because I was afraid that everything I didn’t do would be accepted as the truth and cause another misunderstanding.
"I wanted to correct what wasn’t true, and it has already been a year since then. Due to my careless judgments and thoughts when I was little, I don’t think I deeply understood how he felt. I sincerely apologize for the pain I caused, and I want us to work things out. Also, I deeply regret and apologize to those who were hurt by my immature words and actions when I was young."
Best known for his roles in the Netflix original Extracurricular, SKY Castle, and Itaewon Class, Kim Dong Hee disappeared from public view following the allegations in 2020. While the lawyer's statement in December had given fans hope, the recent disclosure has left the public confused.
