[
OSEN=Kim Chae-yeon] Director Ham Jun-ho of 'My Perfect Secretary' directly expressed his intention to apologize regarding the assault controversy.
Ham Jun-ho, who directed the SBS Friday-Saturday drama 'My Perfect Secretary,' apologized for the past incidents through a written interview on the 26th.
That day, Director Ham said about the conclusion, "I only feel gratitude and regret" and added, "I inflicted harm on the actors and staff who put their best efforts into creating the drama due to a significant mistake I made in the past."
Earlier, a post was uploaded on an online community stating that the director of 'My Perfect Secretary' was involved in a past assault incident. The post included the claim that "Director A of the SBS drama department poured soju on pedestrians and committed indiscriminate assaults in Hannam-dong, Seoul, and was arrested as a suspect in the act."
According to reports at the time, Director Ham Jun-ho poured soju on a passing pedestrian and, despite his companions trying to intervene by taking the soju bottle, resisted violently. This led to indiscriminate assaults and a fight with the pedestrians. Furthermore, after being arrested, he reportedly caused a commotion by shouting at police officers at the precinct and had allegedly used severe insults containing sexual expressions toward a female police officer in her 20s.
Particularly, it was revealed through the report that Director Ham has a criminal record, drawing reactions from netizens who questioned how they could watch a romance drama made by a director who used sexual expressions in insults towards a female police officer.
In relation to this, SBS issued an official statement clarifying the facts. Last month, the team behind the SBS Friday-Saturday drama 'My Perfect Secretary' told OSEN, "We apologize for causing concern due to unfavorable news regarding Director Ham Jun-ho." They added, "It is true that Director Ham Jun-ho was accused of a drunken assault and insult charge in early 2020. However, he sincerely apologized to all the victims and, after seeking forgiveness and reaching an agreement, received legal punishment."
They further stated, "Additionally, the prior criminal record mentioned in reports five years ago was for a minor offense and is unrelated to this case," adding, "As a result of this incident, Director Ham Jun-ho received a suspension according to the company's procedures and has since taken three years for self-reflection and atonement before returning to directing. We ask for the viewers' generous understanding."
Director Ham Jun-ho had not expressed a particular stance at the time but revealed his feelings through questions and answers after the drama's conclusion. He stated, "I regretted every day for the past five years and felt ashamed," and continued, "From the moment I took on the direction of 'My Perfect Secretary' until the end, I only thought about doing my best in what I could do at the moment. And seeing this work receive a lot of love, I personally vowed to never forget my mistakes and strive to become a better person a little more every day."
Meanwhile, Director Ham Jun-ho served as the main director for the drama 'Revenger' in 2020 and made his return through the drama 'Law School,' which aired last year after receiving a suspension.
[Photo] Studio S·Eoconnect Group, news capture