SEOUL – K-drama actor Jo Byung-gyu, who has vehemently denied being a school bully since being accused in February, has received an apology letter from one of his accusers.
His management agency, HB Entertainment, released a statement on Tuesday (July 27): “We took legal action against those who wrote posts which sparked a baseless bullying controversy. During a police investigation, the accuser admitted that his post was a fabrication and recently sent us an apology letter.”
It added that Jo had submitted his school records along with multiple testimonies from former teachers and alumni to the police.
There was another accusation which was written anonymously by someone residing overseas and legal proceedings will start once the writer enters South Korea, the agency added.
After being accused of physical and verbal abuse in February, Jo’s public image took a big hit. While one accuser quickly retracted his post and apologised, another two came forward with new allegations.
The 25-year-old star of Sky Castle (2018 to 2019) and The Uncanny Counter (2020 to 2021) had detailed his anguish in an Instagram post in March: “My 10-year career has already collapsed and all of the projects I was scheduled to participate in have been put on hold. The damage amounts to a number I can’t quantify.”
He added: “The mental damage? Ever since the accusations, I keep my eyes glued to the ground when I go out and I haven’t slept for weeks.”
In the wake of the scandal, he had to step down from a show he was slated to be in, but it appears that his career is now recovering as he is reportedly in talks to appear in a new K-drama.
