Was 'Itaewon Class' actor Kim Dong Hee a 'brutal bully in school'? Internet thinks allegations are 'cover up'
A number of South Korean celebrities have been accused of being bullies in school by anonymous accounts and ‘Itaewon Class’ star Kim Dong Hee was one among them who has come forward to deny the allegations along with sternly putting that those who have been spreading false accusations might face legal charges.
Along with (G)-Idle’s Soojin and Seventeen’s Mingyu, Kim Dong Hee was named as a school bully by an anonymous user who posted, “All these bullying allegations have nothing against Kim Dong Hee’s…I hate that someone who used to be a brutal bully became such a beloved celebrity. As soon as my school alumni gather more evidence, I will share it,” according to reports.
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Allegations against Kim Dong Hee
Another allegation claimed, “Kim Dong Hee would wear his e-cigarette around his neck or keep it in his uniform pocket and he would sometimes smoke in the classroom. He would slap the disabled students, or call some classmates to play games that are disadvantageous to them, then slap them. He also bullied the more vulnerable students, forcing them to give him massages,” Koreaboo reported.
Agency denies allegations
Following the anonymous posts, Dong Hee’s agency NPIO Entertainment claimed that none of the allegations are true. A statement noted, “We’re revealing the results that we checked about the post that is being spread online regarding Kim Dong Hee.” It further revealed, “This post was first published in 2018, and after the agency checked the truth at the time with the actor himself and school representatives, we confirmed that there were no incidents involving school violence.”
The statement continued, “Afterwards, the writer who claimed to be a third party and not the victim deleted the post they uploaded, and we didn’t take any further legal action. Despite all of that, they published the same false information three years later. Regarding this, the agency plans on taking legal action for the corresponding issue. Furthermore, we’ll do our best so our agency’s actor doesn’t get unfairly harmed by information that isn’t true," Soompi reported.
Internet reactions
The Internet has been pretty divided on the allegations. While some felt that the accusations may be true as the users have attached various descriptions which seem like the "proof" of it, others have stated that the allegations are a ploy to distract fans. A user stated, “YO kim dong hee was a bully?? But the proofs are too strong.. That makes me lose interest... like i really like him as an actor since he was playing on a drama A-teen on playlist!”
Another said, “these accusations are neverending damn just leave them alone!” A user said, “some are saying they're using idols to cover up some sport scandal, it's something they always do!” A similar tweet read, “Isn't another possible? ... something very big is happening that they are trying to cover up. Several artists being accused. Something is not right.”
YO kim dong hee was a bully?? But the proofs are too strong..
— Annisa🔗 (@AnnisaEb) February 22, 2021
That makes me lose interest... like i really like him as an actor since he was playing on a drama A-teen on playlist
these accusations are neverending damn just leave them alone😭😭😭
— lía⁷₇ 🔗 (@luvhrgyu) February 22, 2021
some are saying they're using idols to cover up some sport scandal, it's something they always do
— rina (@ymthinker) February 22, 2021
Isn't another possible? ... something very big is happening that they are trying to cover up. Several artists being accused. Something is not right.
— Liz (@Liz29magic2020) February 22, 2021
These remarks were made by third persons and individual organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently nor does it support these claims. The respective references are linked in the article