Was Kim Hieora a part of an Iljin group? The Glory actress' bullying controversy explained

On September 6, 2023, Dispatch released a lengthy and detailed statement accusing K-drama actress, Kim Hieora, of bullying and school violence. While stating several events that showcased her position as a school bully, Dispatch also mentioned that the actress was part of an "Iljin" (school bullying) group, named "Big Sangji," at the Sangji Girls' Middle School.

As Dispatch gathered information from her former schoolmates and alleged victims of Big Sangji's violence, they also interviewed Kim Hieora herself. While the actress responded to each allegation separately, she also mentioned that though she was a part of Big Sangji, it was an online group instead of an Iljin group.

During the interview, she also reportedly admitted to being a bystander for some of the alleged activities of the group.

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Everything we know about recently surfaced bullying allegations regarding the K-drama actress, Kim Hieora

In Dispatch's report, student X, who was an eighth grader, allegedly confessed after being caught stealing money from other students' bags that she was ordered to do so by the actress, who was a ninth grader at that time. As per Koreaboo's translation, this is what student X told authorities when she was questioned on the matter:

"I did it because an older sister (Kim Hieora) told me to. She wanted to pay for her mother’s hospital fees."

However, when the actress was inquired by the school office, she allegedly completely denied her involvement in the matter.

As per Koreaboo, Dispatch received information about Kim Hieora's alleged involvement in a bullying group in May 2022.

While their investigations came to a closure in June, they waited until the last episode of The Uncanny Encounter 2 released, the recent K-drama that Kim Hieora starred in, as per the actress' request, in order to prevent damage to the cast and the crew.

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The actress was allegedly a part of Big Sangji, an Iljin group

One of the former students that Dispatch interviewed expressed that the actress was allegedly part of an Iljin group named Big Sangji, and their primary form of bullying was to extort money from junior students, physical violence, and verbal abuse. The informant, who was a former schoolmate of the actress expressed that Hieora was also part of the group.

Big Sangji members (Image via Dispatch)

Certain alleged evidence of the actress' messages in an online community also proved the above claim. During her interview with Dispatch, however, the actress denied that Big Sangji was a bullying group. Instead, she said it was only an online community.

Another former student that Dispatch spoke to was reportedly of a different opinion, as translated by Koreaboo:

"The online community was for the bullies only. All of a sudden, they would ask us for money. With that money, they would go buy cigarettes, alcohol, and go to karaoke. They would buy presents for their boyfriends using that money. If you didn’t give it to them, they would continue to harass you."

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Alleged theft allegations against Kim Hieora

Along with the allegations of her being a part of Big Sangji, one particular incident was mentioned in Dispatch's report.

In 2004, while Kim Hieora was in 9th grade, she reportedly told her former schoolmates 'X' and 'Y' that her family had gone bankrupt, because of which she had to do part-time jobs. When Dispatch spoke to 'X,' the student admitted that she stole to help Hieora with her financial struggles. Eventually, both Kim Hieora and 'X' were allegedly tasked with community service as punishment.

However, the Korean actress responded to this by saying that she never personally talked to her about her finances. As per Dispatch, she stated that student 'X' was someone who followed her around and might have heard about financial struggles indirectly.

She also talked about how no one believed her when she said that she wasn't involved in the theft.

Following the incident, both the students reportedly changed schools and while the actress was able to dissociate from the allegations and scandals, student 'X' reportedly continued to carry the weight of the allegations wherever she transferred.

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Kim Hieora's response to the allegations

When Dispatch spoke to her regarding the matter, Kim Hieora reportedly expressed that she was a part of Big Sangji but as mentioned before, added that it was supposedly an online community. Additionally, she also said that she was only a bystander for any kind of bullying that might have happened through the group members.

As per Koreaboo's translation of the Dispatch report, the actress said the following:

"Yes. I wasn’t a model student when I was in middle school. I did mess around. But Big Sangji wasn’t a group of bullies. At the time, it was popular to have an online community with your friends. Big Sangji was the name of the online community. It was not a secret place for only bullies."

She also stated:

"It’s true I gathered with the Big Sangji friends. I also was hit by the older students at the school for no reason. But I did not hit the younger students or my friends."

As a response to the other allegations regarding her involvement in sending others to buy her cigarettes, taking money for karaoke, and more, the actress strongly denied them all. As per Koreaboo's translation, she told Dispatch:

"I never directly participated in the bullying. Yes, there was corporal punishment back then. I was called to the teacher’s office and was hit. When I was asked who made you do it, I was scolded even more for asking how someone could ask their class senior about it."

She also confessed that though she tried to smoke to make her image look more strong, she never continued the habit since it didn't sit well with her body. Additionally, she claimed that she never personally took or stole money from any of her schoolmates even though she enjoyed karaoke.

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Gram Entertainment releases statement denying allegations

In light of Dispatch's statement, Kim Hieora's agency, Gram Entertainment also released a brief statement about the issue, announcing that they are preparing an official response to clearly explain the news:

"This is actress Kim Hieora’s agency Gram Entertainment. We apologize for causing concern to many people through sudden news. We are preparing an official statement, so we kindly ask you please wait. We once again apologize with heavy hearts."

Additionally, the actress also made an Instagram post expressing her regret and apology to fans who've been affected by the news. As per an Instagram translation of the post, this is what she wrote:

"I’m sorry for worrying everyone today. Just as I beseech you with a sincere heart, I will undertake all matters sincerely and calmly. Once again, I apologize to those who have supported and trusted me. Even in this moment, I sincerely apologize to those that were hurt because of me. As I know that many people are believing in me, I will move forth without a single lie. I hope you will watch over me."

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After making a remarkable impression through her performance in the K-drama, The Glory, Kim Hieora was scheduled to appear in the fourth season of the renowned talk show, SNL Korea, which was scheduled for this month. Amidst the recent controversy of the actress allegedly being involved in school violence and bullying, Kim Hieora's upcoming SNL Korea appearance as the show host has now reportedly been canceled.