Actress Song Ha Yoon has spoken up for the first time in approximately a year after allegations of school violence first surfaced.
On July 2, Song Ha Yoon’s legal representative Jieum Law Firm released an official statement as below:
Hello,
This is Jieum Law Firm, the legal representative of actress Song Ha Yoon.
Regarding the school violence controversy that was raised last year about an incident over 20 years ago involving actress Song Ha Yoon, she has consistently stated from the beginning that these allegations are not true. However, proving that something did not happen is extremely difficult, which made it hard to respond actively at the time.
Since then, Song Ha Yoon has worked to gather evidence to prove that the claims made by the original disseminator Ms. Oh are false, and as a result, she has collected a significant amount of evidence herself. Based on this, Song Ha Yoon has filed a criminal complaint against Ms. Oh.
On behalf of the actress, our law firm would like to inform you of the recent actions taken by Song Ha Yoon and the current status of the investigation as well as to officially state her position regarding the controversy. We would also like to update you on recent changes in her personal circumstances and her future plans.
For more details, please refer to the following statement. Thank you.
Actress Song Ha Yoon has filed a criminal complaint against Ms. Oh, the first person who spread the school violence rumors, for defamation under the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection, etc., and for obstruction of business by fraudulent means.
The police determined that an investigation was necessary into Ms. Oh’s alleged defamation and related actions. However, Ms. Oh, who currently resides in the United States and claims to be a U.S. citizen, has continuously refused to cooperate with the investigation. The police, through official channels such as the Ministry of Justice, confirmed that Ms. Oh still holds Korean nationality and proceeded with the investigation, but Ms. Oh has refused to return to Korea and continues to evade the investigation.
As Ms. Oh has failed to comply with the police’s summons without justifiable reason, the police issued a “wanted notification” for her in May and registered her on the wanted list in the police database. Therefore, if Ms. Oh enters Korea, the police will be immediately notified and the investigation will resume without delay.
Currently, Song Ha Yoon is also reviewing additional legal actions that can be taken in the United States, and together with her legal representatives, is preparing to pursue civil and criminal liability against third parties who participated in spreading false information.
Song Ha Yoon never committed any violence against Ms. Oh during high school, nor was she ever forced to transfer schools due to school violence. She has submitted to the authorities official documents and notarized statements as well as other evidence that prove these claims are false.
Song Ha Yoon has also received confirmation from a high school classmate, whom Ms. Oh identified as a witness to the alleged assault, that this classmate never witnessed such an incident. The classmate made it clear to Ms. Oh that they had never seen such an event, but Ms. Oh still presented this classmate as a witness in media reports. In addition, Song Ha Yoon was able to contact her homeroom teacher from high school, who confirmed that the claim she was forced to transfer due to school violence was completely new to them. Several other classmates also came forward to state, “If anything, she was someone who could have been a victim, but she would never harm anyone.”
Actress Song Ha Yoon has suffered significant damage and severe emotional distress due to these illegal acts that have seriously tarnished the reputation she built over the past 22 years.
We ask for your understanding regarding the time it has taken to release this statement, as we believed it was more important for the truth to be revealed through an objective investigation rather than through a hasty explanation.
Song Ha Yoon deeply apologizes to everyone who has trusted and supported her for any concern this matter may have caused.
Her contract with her previous agency has now expired, and she is preparing to return to the public with a new mindset in a new environment. She will do her best to repay your support with greater humility and maturity.
We ask for your continued interest and warm support for Song Ha Yoon’s future endeavors. Thank you.
Song Ha Yoon earned widespread acclaim for her performance as the villain role Jung Soo Min in the tvN drama “Marry My Husband.” Amid this success, on April 1 of last year, a report by JTBC’s “Crime Chief” brought school violence allegations against her to light. The informant claimed that in 2004, when they were in their third year of middle school, they were assaulted by someone identified as S, who was later revealed to be Song Ha Yoon.
Following the controversy, Song Ha Yoon’s former agency KINGKONG by STARSHIP released a statement acknowledging her school record of having been forced to transfer schools in relation to school violence. Since then, Song Ha Yoon has not taken on any new projects aside from the pre-filmed drama “A History of Losers” and has been on a temporary hiatus from her activities.
