The ongoing legal dispute surrounding actress Song Ha Yoon has taken another turn.
On August 22nd, Song’s legal representatives at Jieum Law announced that they had offered to cover all travel costs—including airfare, hotel, and local transportation—for A, the individual who claims to have been bullied by Song during high school. The firm said the support was meant to ensure that A, currently residing in the United States, could return to Korea and participate in the investigation. “We are ready to fact-check every allegation once A arrives,” they stated.
But A publicly rejected the offer through an online post, insisting that documentation would resolve the matter more quickly. Specifically, A requested disclosure of records tied to Song’s 2004 transfer from Banpo High School to Apgujeong High School under her birth name, Kim Mi Seon.
A wrote, “I never asked for reimbursement. If they really claim there was no forced transfer due to bullying, then simply issue and release these documents. The total fee for obtaining them would be no more than 3,000 KRW (about 2 USD). That’s much faster and far cheaper than offering full travel support.”
Later today, it was reported that A has arrived in South Korea to initiate legal action. In his fourth public statement, posted to an online community on August 25th, A announced he is now in the country, will cooperate with the ongoing police investigation, and will file a formal lawsuit.
He added that he is preparing a damages lawsuit against the actress, seeking a total of 10 billion won ($7.5 million) for the harm he allegedly suffered.
A key part of his case will be what he calls an “institutional cover-up.” He alleges that while he confirmed an official document of Song Ha Yoon’s forced transfer for school violence in 2004 did exist, his requests for the information from the high school and the local education office were ultimately denied due to privacy laws, as such disciplinary records are deleted over time.
A began his statement by saying he never intended for the situation to become a public dispute, claiming he had even sent Song’s team a proposal to end the matter quietly as a final act of goodwill and an offer of an honorable exit.
Song Ha Yoon has faced school bullying allegations since February last year. Song has consistently denied the accusations, calling them baseless, but the controversy disrupted her career. On July 2nd, after nearly 17 months of silence, Song’s team announced they had filed a defamation lawsuit against A for spreading false information, stating that A had refused to respond to an investigative summons from abroad. In response, A renewed the accusations, leading Song’s side to file an additional complaint.
>> Song Ha Yoon Bullying Accuser Enters Korea for Legal Battle
