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On June 20th, an exclusive media report stated that an anonymous informant has accused Twenty-Five Twenty-One actor Nam Joo-hyuk of school bullying for 6 years through both middle and high school.
As their proof, the informant shared a picture of their high school yearbook from Suil High School in 2013. The actor is an alumnus of the high school and has made donations to the school in the past.
The informant claimed that the Start-Up actor was part of a clique that often bullied other classmates by beating them, using bad language, taking their money by force, and more.
Bullying accusations: What did Nam Joo-hyuk do?
He was also accused of using students as a “bread shuttle”, which is a term used when a bully uses another student to run errands for them, threatening them with dire consequences if they refuse. The tipper also alleged that the actor bullied him by throwing mechanical pencil refills at him and pulling out his chair.
He added that the other victims were more severely bullied and are currently seeking psychiatric help and avoiding watching TV due to the actor's recent popularity. The tipper also shared that he only wants to help others who are in a similar situation to him.
Nam Joo-hyuk’s agency has released an initial statement regarding his school bullying scandal
Nam Joo-hyuk’s agency Management SOOP has released its first statement regarding his bullying accusations.
They confirmed that they have heard of the allegations against the actor and are looking into the veracity of it.
“We have heard of the article and are currently looking into [the legitimacy].”
No further comments have been made on the matter so far and more details are awaited.
Netizens have mixed reactions upon hearing of Nam Joo-hyuk’s school bullying scandal
Fans of the Start-Up actor are in shock upon hearing of his alleged school bullying scandal.
While some showed support for the actor and slammed the tipper for accusing the actor of school bullying after all these years, others stated that one must give the informant a chance to explain his stance as well.
More about Nam Joo-hyuk
Nam Joo-hyuk is a Korean model and actor and one of the biggest Hallyu stars in the country. He started his career by appearing in music videos before making his TV debut with The Idle Mermaid in 2014. However, he rose to prominence with his role in Who Are You: School 2015 which also starred Kim So-Hyun and BTOB’s Sungjae.
Since then, he has starred in some notable K-dramas like Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo, The Light in your Eyes, Start-Up, and more recently in Twenty-Five Twenty-One.
He will be playing the lead in the upcoming webtoon adaptation of the K-drama Vigilante.
The actor will portray a police academy student named Kim Ji-Yong, whose mother died when he was young. He was victimized by a group of local gangsters which caused his mother’s death.
