Start Up star Nam Joo Hyuk's school violence accuser's classmate seeks review of summary order, pushes for formal trial

Nam Joo Hyuk's school violence accuser's classmate has appealed the summary order and requested a formal trial. Read on to know more.

By Pratyusha Dash

Updated on Apr 08, 2024 | 11:19 PM IST | 158.5K

Nam Joo Hyuk (Image Credits- tvN)

Trigger Warning: This article contains mentions of bullying, abuse, and violence.

Classmate A, who claimed to be a victim of school violence by Nam Joo Hyuk, has been fined in a summary order for defamation but has filed for a formal trial. Subsequent investigations, which found the accusations to be false, resulted in charges of defamation against the two individuals involved in making claims against the K-drama star, but classmate A has filed for a formal trial.

Nam Joo Hyuk's school violence accuser's classmate seeks review of summary order, asks for formal trial

On April 8th, attorney No Jong Eon, representing Law Firm Existence, confirmed that Classmate A had requested a formal trial at the Uijeongbu District Court's Goyang branch. Classmate A, a high school alumnus of Nam Joo Hyuk, had informed B, who works at an internet media outlet, about being a victim of school violence from Nam Joo Hyuk's group, which led to the publication of articles.

In response, Nam Joo Hyuk's agency, Management SOOP, filed a criminal complaint for defamation against B for writing the false article, the CEO, and A for making the false allegation.

When the allegations were first made, A clarified that they had informed B about being victimized by Nam Joo Hyuk's group, not directly by Nam Joo Hyuk himself. A also stated that the article was not published as described, leading to a request for correction.

In response, Management SOOP initiated a lawsuit against A and B, appointing the law firm Sejong as their legal representative. On March 28th, the Goyang Court fined both A and B 7 million KRW each, ruling that A had made a false report with the intention of slandering Nam Joo Hyuk to B, and B had subsequently posted the article about Nam Joo Hyuk.

The court added that there was no evidence to support the allegations that Nam Joo Hyuk had engaged in school violence, such as cutting in line or being a bread shuttle against A during his school years, nor had he bullied other friends by associating with so-called bullies. As a result, the court concluded that A and B conspired to publicly disclose false facts, defaming Nam Joo Hyuk.

Attorney No Jong Eon stated that there are facts indicating that A was initially victimized by Nam Joo Hyuk's friends, not Nam Joo Hyuk himself, and these facts are supported by various pieces of evidence. He emphasized that these details will be clarified during the trial.

Furthermore, he expressed confusion over the indictment's claim that Nam Joo Hyuk had not bullied other friends, indicating that this aspect will also be addressed through witness testimonies during the trial. Hence, Classmate A, who claimed to be a victim of school violence by Nam Joo Hyuk, has been fined in a summary order for defamation but has filed for a formal trial.

More about Nam Joo Hyuk’s case

For those unfamiliar with the situation, in June 2022, a former classmate of Nam Joo Hyuk made allegations that the actor had bullied him for a period spanning over six years, from middle school to high school. Subsequently, two more students came forward to accuse the Twenty Five Twenty One actor of bullying.

However, many students and teachers stepped forward to support Joo Hyuk. Additionally, the credibility of the initial accuser was questioned when they altered their claims after threats of legal action from the K-drama star's label against the informant, reporter, and media outlet responsible for the original allegations.

Disclaimer: If you know someone who is suffering from bullying, abuse, or violence, reach out to a nearby doctor, expert, or NGO for immediate help. There are several helplines available for the same.

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