Actress Cha Ye-ryeon (41) denied allegations of school violence, while a hair salon owner who has maintained a friendship with her for over 20 years came forward to publicly support her.
Recently, a comment from the official account of a hair salon in Cheongdam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul appeared on one of Cha Ye-ryeon's social media posts.
A person identifying themselves as the owner of the said salon stated that they have known Cha Ye-ryeon for 20 years and said, "As far as I am concerned, the comments posted below are truly regrettable."
The individual said, "(Cha Ye-ryeon) is more appreciative and works harder than any other actress I know. She always takes the lead in doing good deeds and has maintained a long-standing, positive relationship with staff members. It is shocking to hear that character issues have suddenly arisen regarding Ye-ryeon," expressing their sorrow.
They added, "It is far too harsh to throw stones at someone's life based on isolated incidents" and "I sincerely support Ms. Cha Ye-ryeon as she is now."
In response, netizens reacted with comments such as, "Just because someone is a good person now does not erase their past. If the allegations are true, should they not take responsibility to the end for the parts that require an apology?" and "They probably only treated people well when it benefited them or when dealing with those they liked. There would be people who would like them again if they repented, reflected, and did more good deeds, but it is disappointing that they seem to be judging based only on what is visible before their eyes."
Cha Ye-ryeon became embroiled in school violence allegations after a post titled "Please stop the activities of the 1985-born actress who was a perpetrator of school violence" was uploaded to an online community on the 29th of last month.
The poster claimed that a 1985-born female actress, a graduate of Seoul Junggye Middle School, was a notorious class leader and perpetrator of school violence during her student days, alleging that she had been subjected to continuous physical abuse and bullying by the actress. In particular, the poster claimed to have suffered a ruptured eardrum after being slapped by the actress in a building near the school, demanding an apology.
Although the post did not explicitly name the actress, netizens identified Cha Ye-ryeon based on her birth year and alma mater. Subsequently, Cha Ye-ryeon's agency, HB Entertainment, dismissed the allegations as "groundless" on the 30th of last month.
The original post that first raised the school violence allegations has been subject to viewing restrictions since the 2nd under temporary measures pursuant to Article 44-2 of the Information and Communications Network Act.
As the suspicions continued to spread, the agency issued a statement again on the 4th, stating, "We are taking the current situation very seriously, in which unverified claims and speculations raised anonymously are being repeatedly disseminated, and criticism is even directed at the actress's family."
It further warned of a strong response, saying, "We will thoroughly secure relevant materials and respond responsibly after legal review regarding malicious dissemination of false facts and personal attacks" and "We will take strong measures to prevent further damage caused by the spread of false information."
Cha Ye-ryeon debuted in 2005 with the film "Whispering Corridors 4: Voice" and has appeared in dramas such as "Bad Love," "Royal Family," "She Was Too Pretty," "Seduction," and "The Golden Mask." She married actor Joo Sang-wook, who is seven years her senior, in 2017 and welcomed their daughter, In-a, the following year.
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