South Korean actress Cha Ye-ryun (차예련) is currently facing a school bullying controversy that continues to escalate. Her past history of repaying approximately 1 billion Korean won (KRW) in debt for her father has resurfaced, and her husband Joo Sang-wook’s (주상욱) social media has also been affected. A large number of netizens have flocked to his Instagram, demanding he address his wife’s controversy, with some sarcastically commenting, “Isn’t this basically a fraudulent marriage?” Her previously positive image, widely seen as filial, is now under scrutiny.
Cha Ye-ryun previously garnered attention due to her father's fraud case. In 2018, she personally admitted that her father had been sentenced to three years in prison for land transaction fraud, and that she had been quietly repaying his debts for many years. At the time, she revealed that she had not seen her father for 15 years, starting from when she was 19, yet she spent 10 years diligently repaying his debts.
Cha Ye-ryun stated that after her debut, as her fame grew, many strangers approached her, demanding she repay her father's debts. Some even held her captive, complained to her, and others physically assaulted her. She confessed that out of a sense of responsibility, she had borrowed money to repay debts, and almost every penny of her hard-earned acting fees went towards debt repayment. To date, she had repaid approximately 1 billion KRW for her father, a situation that drew much sympathy. She also apologized to the victims of her father's actions at the time, hoping no one else would be harmed.
Unexpectedly, Cha Ye-ryun is now embroiled in school bullying allegations. Recently, a netizen posted on an online forum with the title, “Please, the female actress born in 1985 who was a school bullying perpetrator, stop your activities.” The post claimed that during their time at Seoul Junggye Middle School, they were subjected to long-term bullying and assault by a female actress, resulting in severe facial swelling and even a ruptured eardrum for some victims.
The accuser, identified as 'A', demanded that the actress cease all TV and YouTube activities, reflect, and apologize to the victims. They also stated that if the actress insisted the accusations were false, they were willing to provide testimonies from former classmates. Although the post did not directly name the actress, clues within the text led netizens to point fingers at Cha Ye-ryun, even publicly sharing yearbook photos, sparking heated discussion.
In response, Cha Ye-ryun's agency, HB Entertainment, denied the allegations, emphasizing that after verification, the claims were “completely untrue.” However, even after the agency's statement, netizens claiming to be former classmates continued to emerge online. Some asserted that Cha Ye-ryun was indeed part of a group of five problematic students at the time, believing she should acknowledge her past actions and apologize to the victims. Conversely, another netizen, also claiming to be a graduate of the same school, defended her, stating that in their recollection, Cha Ye-ryun was not someone who would casually hit or bully classmates, nor did they remember her stealing others' belongings. The conflicting accounts have made the incident even more perplexing.
As the controversy continues to expand, even her husband Joo Sang-wook has been implicated. On October 31, a large number of netizens flooded the comment section of Joo Sang-wook's Instagram. Even posts he made in July this year were inundated, with photos featuring Cha Ye-ryun becoming a particular focus for comments. Some directly addressed Joo Sang-wook, saying, “From repaying her father's debts to school bullying, it feels like you married the wrong person. All her past was hidden so thoroughly, isn't this a fraudulent marriage?” Others commented, “I saw reports that she was beaten by her mother growing up, but then the wife bullied classmates during her school days…” and “Sang-wook is so regrettable, I hope you can get out of all this quickly.” Some comments even received dozens of likes, indicating that the controversy has spread from Cha Ye-ryun herself to their marital relationship.
Furthermore, some netizens claimed that comments they left on Cha Ye-ryun's YouTube channel, asking her to address the issue, were deleted. This has led to increased public attention on whether she will personally respond.
From carrying her father's enormous debt and being praised for her filial piety, to now being entangled in school bullying allegations, Cha Ye-ryun's image has undoubtedly taken a significant hit. However, the current content consists of online allegations and conflicting statements from self-proclaimed classmates. There is no confirmed evidence that Cha Ye-ryun was involved in school bullying, and her agency has explicitly denied the claims. The truth of the matter still awaits further clarification.
