(Following interview ①) Actress Shim Eun-woo expressed her frustration over the false accusation of school violence.
Earlier, actress Shim Eun-woo, who gained immediate attention through the drama 'The World of the Married,' suspended her activities in 2021 due to allegations of school violence. At that time, an anonymous writer, referred to as A, claimed she was bullied by Shim Eun-woo during middle school, to which Shim Eun-woo responded, "It’s true we were not on good terms, but there was no violence." However, as the controversy grew, she apologized, saying, "If I hurt anyone due to immature behavior, I am sorry."
Later in 2023, Shim Eun-woo, expressing her frustration, stated, "The apology at that time was not an acknowledgment of school violence, but stemmed from a misunderstanding," and classmate B also elaborated on an incident where A referred to Shim Eun-woo's school violence case, saying, "A and I had a misunderstanding that led to an argument. At that time, my friends and Shim Eun-woo were watching us argue and supported me, resulting in the only incident of a fight in the class."
Additionally, Shim Eun-woo filed a defamation lawsuit against A for false accusations, but the police decided not to pursue charges, reasoning that A did not perceive the allegations as false. Subsequently, on the 21st, after about two years, Shim Eun-woo issued a lengthy statement again expressing her frustration, stating, "I want to live. I wish to live."
Two years after the apology in 2021, Shim Eun-woo expressed her thoughts regarding that two years.
Shim Eun-woo said, "I was very frustrated. At the time of the incident, I discussed with the production team of the drama 'Fly Butterfly' to publish an apology and continued filming. I chose to write the apology instead of voluntarily withdrawing. I, along with the production team, hoped for it to be broadcast. But it wasn't scheduled, and I was trying to protect my work with the belief that it would air. I endured, thinking it would air, but it did not. Later, I waited, believing it would still air, but it didn’t. As a result, my image was already tarnished. I couldn’t be cast in any work. It seemed not a situation where the production team could come out and speak. I spent time feeling that way," expressing her frustration.
Shim Eun-woo reflected, "It's a foolish thought, but I often considered whether I shouldn't have gotten involved in the argument between A and classmate B during middle school, or whether I shouldn't have apologized. However, if I hadn't apologized, I would have had to pay a hefty penalty for voluntarily withdrawing from the drama, and then I would have taken legal action. Even if I had somehow paid that hefty penalty, I still wouldn't have been able to repay that money now. So the conclusion is that I didn't want to apologize, but I think no matter what choice I made back then, it would have been difficult. It's not an incident from five years ago; in terms of now, it's like 20 years ago. Therefore, whether I apologize or incur a penalty without doing so, it might not be an issue that can be revealed through litigation. I don't know which choice would have been more correct," she admitted.
In particular, regarding the efforts she made to clear her name, she remarked, "I have even pulled my school records from elementary through high school," and showed the records she had prepared. She stated, "There’s absolutely no information related to school violence," and added, "It turns out that I wanted to work in this field since elementary school in the career aspirations section. So it’s really unfair. Giving up my dream because of a person's false claim hidden behind anonymity cannot be acceptable," tearing up.
She continued, "At that time, I lost all contact with my classmates. I didn't have my teachers' contact numbers, and only a few friends' contacts. In that situation, I sought contact information, called the Donghae Education Office, made calls to schools, and even contacted the homeroom teacher of that friend, not just mine," she explained. "There was no material evidence, and now all I could rely on were the testimonies of people from that time, so I worked hard to obtain the contact information of those friends and teachers."
Shim Eun-woo also shared, "At that time, classmates directly wrote handwritten statements and sent them via mail." She then showed the statement sent by mail. She added, "(For the investigation) I submitted all the originals, and the transcriptions of teachers' statements from grades 1, 2, and 3 in middle school were also submitted. However, there was no CCTV footage to prove it wasn't school violence, nor any material evidence. I felt frustrated, pondering what further evidence or testimony would be accepted. Even though classmate B, who directly fought with A, wrote a statement, he was not summoned during the investigation. During the second re-investigation, it turned out that there were three friends whose initials appeared in A's writings. All three stated it wasn't school violence, and during the re-investigation, the officer contacted the friends mentioned by A, who also stated they were not involved. What more could I do? It's a very frustrating situation," she lamented.
[Photo] Provided by the individual
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