Actor Cho Byeong-gyu. Daily Sports
Actor Cho Byeong-gyu denied allegations of violence while in school, but when those who claimed to be victims appeared one after another, the letter of confirmation of the first suspicion was revealed.
On the 19th, HB Entertainment on the side of Cho Byeong-gyu said, “As a result of checking with myself, I confirmed that all posts and rumors circulating now are not true.”
Cho Byeong-gyu’s suspicion of school violence arose on the 16th, which was noisy due to controversy over school violence by professional volleyball players. It was said that Cho Byeong-gyu was verbally abused by him while studying in New Zealand.
The next day, Cho Byeong-gyu’s agency asked for a police investigation, saying, “We will no longer sit down on the offenses that mass-produce and spread malicious rumors against actors.” After that, the author of the article informed the agency that he would seek preemption, and said that he had dropped the complaint after receiving a confirmation that he would not commit illegal acts again.
However, even afterwards, an article was posted on the online community, claiming that “Cho Byeong-gyu was famous for his so-called Iljin or poor quality friends,” claiming that he was robbed of a soccer ball in elementary school or was habitually assaulted and abused. The social network service (SNS) presented a photo taken by Cho Byeong-gyu while studying in New Zealand as evidence and said, “Kicking or hitting is basic, and everything in hand was a weapon. There was also a claim that when they encountered them on a rainy day, they were beaten with an umbrella.”
Byeong-gyu Cho’s agency said, “On the 17th, we have foreshadowed the legal response to the spread of false information, malicious slander, and defamation posts.” Now, a police investigation was officially requested, and the investigation is underway at the cyber investigation unit at Gangnam Police Station in Seoul.
He then emphasized, “We will make every effort for our actors to prevent further damage through continuous data collection and monitoring, and we will hold accountability through strong legal action without any prejudice or agreement.”
A letter of confirmation written by a netizen who claimed to have suffered school violence by Cho Byeong-gyu. Photo HB Entertainment
The agency also unprecedentedly released a confirmation letter written by netizens who claimed to be victims of school violence. He said, “I posted the above false article for the purpose of slandering Cho Byeong-gyu, but I am reflecting on it, recognizing that my act violated the law and caused property and mental damage to Cho Byeong-gyu and his company.” It also contained the content that “in the future, we promise not to commit such an offense, and we have clearly recognized that if we violate our promise, we will bear all civil and criminal responsibilities.”
Reporter Lee Ga-young [email protected]