Seo In-young (서인영), a former member of first-generation K-pop girl group Jewelry, was often labeled a "strong and fierce unnie" due to her outspoken and distinct personality. She gained significant attention for her appearance on the reality show We Got Married with rapper Crown J. In 2010, she left the group to focus on solo activities, but her career later faced a slump following controversies related to her work environment.
Seo was also entangled in a long-running rumor of "assaulting IU in a restroom." Online speculation even claimed she had taken IU into a restroom to scold and physically discipline her, a narrative that persisted for years. Seo recently brought up the incident again on a YouTube program, emphasizing that she never laid a hand on IU and revealing that the two were not even close at the time. She expressed her continued exasperation over the rumor.
On October 7, Seo released a new video on her personal YouTube channel, featuring singer Baek Ji-young (백지영) as a guest. The two reminisced about their past careers and discussed how their strong visuals and personalities led them both to be dubbed "fierce unnies."
Baek laughed as she spoke about their past images: "You were a strong character, and wasn't I too? But if you truly know you, you've never said anything harsh to anyone, have you?" She further emphasized, "We actually never bullied or suppressed our juniors."
Hearing this, Seo suddenly recalled the absurd rumor she had faced in the past, stating with exasperation, "There was a rumor that I hit IU." She revealed that at the time, there were even claims online about "dragging IU into a restroom and severely beating her," which she still finds inexplicable. "Why would I hit her?"
Seo also stressed that she and IU (아이유) were not close at the time. "I wasn't close with IU." Baek then jokingly interjected, "Because you weren't close, that's why you hit her, right?" This left Seo with a dumbfounded expression, and the set erupted in laughter.
Seo then explained that her workload at the time was immense, so much so that she often struggled to keep track of her relationships with industry seniors and juniors. She laughed, saying, "I really had so much work back then. I even once thought Narsha (나르샤) was younger than me."
In fact, the rumor of "Seo In-young assaulting IU in a restroom" began circulating as early as 2010, when the two appeared together on the SBS variety show Heroes. At the time, it was widely rumored that Seo had physically confronted IU in a restroom, with many exaggerated claims emerging.
Facing these rumors, IU herself clarified the situation in 2011 during her appearance on MBC's Radio Star, explicitly stating that she "was not dragged into a restroom, nor was she ever hit."
Seo also denied the claims again in 2013 on MBC's Knee-Drop Guru, emphasizing that she never called IU into a restroom and never laid a hand on her.
Now, 16 years later, this incident, which both parties had long denied, has resurfaced. Seo once again used the program to clarify that the alleged "restroom assault of IU" rumor from back then was not true.
