Actor Song Ha-yoon is facing a 10 billion won ($7.4 million) damages claim from an individual who has accused her of school bullying.

The accuser said on Monday through an online community post that they had not intended to escalate the matter into a public dispute.


“I suggested ways for Song Ha-yoon’s representatives to resolve the situation respectfully, but they refused. I will now cooperate with investigators and file a complaint,” the accuser wrote.

The accuser, who lives in the United States, said they declined Song's representatives' offer to cover airfare, lodging and transportation costs and instead chose to pursue legal action.

The accuser added that they are currently in Korea and are currently preparing a lawsuit, seeking about 10 billion won in compensation.

“This includes damages for mental suffering, international defamation, harm from criminal procedures related to false accusations, violation of the right to livelihood, denial of the right to respond, obstruction of public interest disclosures, costs borne as an overseas resident, prevention of further secondary harm by the perpetrator, the seriousness of false counterclaims and the symbolic meaning of preventing similar cases,” the accuser said.

The accuser emphasized that the lawsuit aims to serve as a punitive warning.

“This is not a personal vendetta but a structural response to restore legal order and protect the public interest,” they wrote.

The allegations against Song, whose real name is Kim Mi-sun, first surfaced in April 2024 through JTBC’s current affairs program, "Crime Chief" (2014-).

At the time, the accuser claimed that Song and two other classmates assaulted them in high school, leaving injuries that required more than four weeks to heal. The accuser also said the school’s disciplinary committee forced the three students, including Song, to transfer to other schools.

Song denied the allegations and said she had no connection to the accuser.

On July 1 this year, Song’s legal representatives announced they had filed a criminal complaint against the accuser, accusing them of defamation under the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection and obstruction of business.

Song’s representatives also said they would pay for the accuser’s airfare, hotel and transportation so that they could return to Korea quickly to face investigation.


This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY JANG GU-SEUL [kim.juyeon2@joongang.co.kr]