bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

sponsorType

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

The Korea Times

By Kang Hyun-kyung
K-pop star Hyolyn has reportedly agreed on a settlement with a woman who accused the singer of bullying while at school.
Hyolyn, the singer born Kim Hyo-jeong, who rose to fame as a member of the girl band Sistar, is one of several K-pop stars to recently be accused of bullying. On Tuesday, a source from Hyolyn’s agency said in a statement to the media: “After a long conversation, the two sides have reached a peaceful resolution.”
Details of the settlement were not disclosed.

The scandal erupted on Saturday then an internet user, known only as A, claimed she was the victim of bullying during middle school and identified Hyolyn as her tormentor.
The allegation went viral in South Korea and Hyolyn became the most searched name on Naver, the nation’s largest internet portal, over the weekend.
The accuser, who identified herself as a former classmate of Hyolyn, said she felt disgusted whenever she saw the singer on TV. She described herself as a survivor of school bullying. “To me, it’s an almost a miracle that I am still alive,” she wrote in the post.
What the alleged victim said was her own interpretation and whether her description is true or not has not been proven
Bridge Company, Hyolyn’s agency, in a statement
Describing her school days as a nightmare, she alleged Hyolyn had bullied her for three years throughout middle school, and that the bullying occurred at school as well as a playground near her family’s flat. The accuser demanded an apology from the singer.
Hyolyn’s agency, the Bridge Company, initially denied the allegation and warned it could take legal action against the alleged victim.
“We deeply regret the media coverage because her allegation was reported without fact checking. What the alleged victim said was her own interpretation and whether her description is true or not has not been proven,” the agency said in a statement released on Monday.

“The baseless allegation spread fast online and has already damaged the image and reputation of the artist. Further damage to her career will be inevitable.”
The allegation against Hyolyn came after Yoo Young-hyun, keyboardist for the band Jannabi, was accused of having bullied his classmates before entering the entertainment industry.
Goo Hara, K-pop star in suicide bid scare, issues apology
After the claims emerged on May 22, Yoo admitted the allegations were true and quit the band.

Several weeks earlier, Yun Seo-bin, a former trainee with JYP Entertainment, dropped out of the TV audition programme Produce 101X after allegations that he was a notorious school bully. JYP also ended its contract with Yun.
Kwak Dae-kyung, a sociology professor at Dongguk University in Seoul, said it was a lose-lose situation for all involved when celebrities’ careers were cut short over events that happened in their youth.
“It’s bad for the stars when their careers end because of their past misdeeds. Their agencies also suffer because they invested a lot to help them rise to stardom. And it is bad news for their fans, too,” he said.
Compared to ordinary people, people in show business have relatively fewer opportunities to learn decent behaviour
Kwak Dae-kyung, sociologist
The sociologist said the current trainee system, which is particularly dominant in K-pop agencies, makes it tough for aspiring singers to learn good behaviour or lifestyles.
“Once signing contracts with talent agencies, many aspiring singers or actors quit school to focus on training for their future careers,” he said.
Former K-pop star’s conviction for sexual harassment upheld
“So compared to ordinary people, people in show business have relatively fewer opportunities to learn decent behaviour. So I think agencies need to pay extra attention to educate their artists, particularly minors and teenagers.”
Kwak said the recent allegations of bullying by K-pop stars would encourage entertainment agencies to take a closer look at the pasts of their artists and trainees.
Read the full story at the Korea Times


K-pop singer HyunA threatens legal action over defamatory posts online about her wedding

Actress Han So-hee’s mother charged over gambling; actor Yoo Ah-in jailed for drug use

Blackpink’s Jennie’s ‘vaping incident’ under investigation in South Korea after petition

‘South Korea is nothing without BTS’: fans of boy band demand apology from Seoul over chart-rigging probe

K-pop scandals

K-pop school bullying scandal: Hyolyn of Sistar agrees settlement over former classmate’s ‘nightmare’

Hyolyn apparently wanted to sue her accuser.

Yun Seo-bin

Hyorin

Yoo Young Hyun

K-pop singer Hyolyn, who rose to fame as a member of the girl band Sistar, has agreed a settlement with a former middle school classmate in South Korea who accused her of bullying.

‘Butt-naked’ costumes and too much skin: sexy K-pop outfits that went too far

Pritz

Sistar

Tiffany and Taeyon from Girls Generation in HK

Mamamoo at the Mama Japan awards show on Wednesday, with Hwasa third left

Hyolyn

Year 7 Class 1

Blackpink label boss accused of providing prostitutes to investors

The boss of Blackpink’s label, Yang Hyun-suk, has been accused of providing prostitutes.

Seungri

Yang Hyun-suk (pictured), the founder of YG Entertainment, which manages Blackpink, Psy and BigBang, has been accused of providing prostitutes to investors.

Goo Hara, K-pop star in suspected suicide bid, sorry for ‘causing concerns’, vows: ‘I will steel my heart’

Goo Hara. The K-pop star has issued an apology after being treated in hospital following a suspected suicide attempt. She said she had been in agony over “overlapping issues” – possibly a reference to her ex-boyfriend, who is accused of blackmailing and assaulting the singer.

Goo Hara

Lifestyle

Entertainment


The third Korean pop star to be accused of bullying in school in recent weeks, Hyolyn has reached an agreement with her accuser
After allegation went viral in South Korea, singer initially threatened to sue the woman, but her agency said a peaceful resolution had been reached



Hyolyn reached an agreement with her accuser, having initially threatened to sue the former classmate after her accusation went viral in South Korea. The singer is the third K-pop star to be accused of bullying at school in recent weeks.
