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South Korean actress Kim Hieora, famous for her role in the acclaimed 2022 K-drama The Glory, admitted to extorting money from her classmates September 11, 2023 amidst the bullying controversy surrounding her. Korean news outlet Dispatch interviewed the actress during which, she confessed to her actions from her high school days, although denying any accusations of violence or bullying.
Trigger Warning: This article contains mentions of bullying. Readers' discretion is advised.
In the interview, she said,
"It's difficult to admit, but I realized that people can oppress and harass others to unimaginable extents. I never thought about it since I was never in the place of being 'Moon Dong Eun.' I think I also justified my actions by thinking, 'This extent isn't enough to be seen as a bully'." (as translated by allkpop)
Kim Hieora confessed about her dark past when she was a student at Sangji Girls' Middle School in Wonju, Gangwon province. As per a report made by one of the bullied victims, the 34-year-old actress used to be a part iljin (bullying) group, that went by the name of 'Big Sangji,' and would extort money from other students and assault them.
"I am not denying my mistakes": The Glory actress Kim Hieora admits to her regrettable choices in high school
The Glory actress has been under the hellfire of the Korean news outlet, Dispatch after somebody sent an anonymous complaint to Dispatch against the actress accusing her of high school bullying.
The 34-year-old actress, known for The Uncanny Counter 2 and The Glory, firmly denied her involvement in any major incidents such as the jeans incident, the scandalous controversial arcade assault, and the alleged Dickies pants extortion during her interview with Dispatch on September 11.
"Although I was a part of 'Big Sangji,' I did not uphold impeccable character during that time. I cannot guarantee that I might not have played a role in these unsavory activities. I did play a role in collecting money for older peers."
Kim Hieora further shed light on how she would extort money from other students and expressed deep regret over her poor choices. She confessed that her friends from Big Sandji extorted money from other students. Since she was younger than the other group members, she would simply follow instructions.
"I agree that my friends in 'Big Sandji' took money from other students; it was a significant amount. I also contributed considerably. For instance, if the older girls would request, 'Is 100,000 Korean KRW doable?' we who were younger would (go to younger peers) and tell them, 'Okay, let's split it 50-50.' Since the victims were a grade lower than us, it facilitated such issues." (as translated by allkpop)
She goes on to admit her embarrassing actions and says,
"I am not denying my mistakes. I wasn't a model student, and there were moments when I justified questionable actions. Due to my distinctive name, I could never be just an ordinary student. I was either the target of envy, risked being ostracized, or chose to attract attention. I chose the latter, a decision I deeply regret," she added.
More about Kim Hieora's bullying controversy
Earlier this year, Dispatch opened a private investigation against 34-year-old actress after it received a complaint accusing the actress of bullying. The victim, who chooses to stay anonymous, revealed that Kim Hieora would extort money from them and hit them when she was in high school.
Dispatch interviewed 11 former classmates of the actress to get to the bottom of the accusation, only to find out that the actress had contacted the classmates behind the news outlet's back to keep the past buried. Netizens have shared differing opinions on whether or not to trust the continuing dispute involving Kim Hieora.
On September 11, 2023, The Glory star Kim Hieora's agency, Gram Entertainment, issued an official statement expressing their disappointment towards certain news outlets and insinuated upon taking legal action and said,
"We are deeply disappointed with certain media channels treating the allegations of the accuser regarding Kim Hieora as validated facts." (as translated by allkpop)
Gram Entertainment still denies the authenticity of all the information made public by Dispatch so far, and has hinted at taking legal actions against any means of defamation towards the actress by the news outlets.
As of now, Kim Hieora will proceed as usual to star in the musical show Frida, as planned. However, her appearance on Saturday Night Live Korea aka SNL was canceled as a consequence of this controversy.
