K-pop stars face scrutiny as bullying claims leap from sports world to entertainment
- Since volleyball twins Lee Jae-yeong and Da-yeong were accused of bullying when they were younger, similar claims have spread to the K-pop and K-drama worlds
- Some in South Korea are calling for a public accounting on the issue, with a consensus formed on how people can take responsibility for their bullying pasts
The popular Lee twins, who played for the Heungkuk Life Pink Spiders in the domestic women’s league, were accused of physically and verbally abusing their younger teammates, and threatening at least one with a weapon. Although the twins were considered crucial for South Korea’s chances for success at the Tokyo Olympics, they were suspended indefinitely from the national team in February, despite publicly apologising.
The South Korean public, however, did not see the punishment as sufficient, and it has asked – via an online petition to the president’s office – for an investigation into the Lees’ case and a stricter response from both the government and volleyball community.
Now, a similar reckoning could be coming to the entertainment industry, where a number of popular figures face charges of having been bullies in their schooldays.
Actor Ji Soo enlisted in the military after dropping out of his lead role in the popular TV drama series River Where the Moon Rises, following an online post by a person accusing him of committing misdeeds in middle school, such as throwing food at fellow students.
