Actor Park Si-hoo's side once again denied allegations of arranging an affair, and a close aide also emphasized that it is "groundless," saying Park Si-hoo is determined to show a good side as an actor through a film marking his return to the screen after 10 years.
In August, an influencer identified as A posted on her social media account some messages presumed to have been exchanged between her ex-husband and Park Si-hoo. A said "You are the gallant Si-hoo. When our family lived in UN Village, you kept calling me sister-in-law, sister-in-law, and since 2020 you have been introducing women to Mr. Hwang," "You should have moderated it. You played a big part in connecting women to the children's father and in the destruction of the family," "Are you going to keep hosting on TikTok? I also have phone call recordings. They say you are doing a drama this time? Congratulations. I have some gifts to give! Sue him. I lost my child and have nothing left to lose. I have nothing to lose, really. Except the house and car, nothing else?"
In 2013 Park Si-hoo faced a lawsuit on charges of sexual assault and went through a crisis of being expelled from the entertainment industry, but after four months of investigation and disputes the case was settled with the complaint withdrawn and the prosecution finding no basis to indict, though he has not been able to be as active as before.
The suddenly surfaced allegation of arranging an affair. A's ex-husband claimed he was only a hometown older-brother/younger-brother friend of Park Si-hoo and that he never introduced any woman. He said the bank account number in the messages belonged to Park Si-hoo's mother and that he was the one who sent the woman's photo. In particular, the ex-husband said he and A had already divorced six years earlier and suspected that mentioning the unrelated Park Si-hoo might be an attempt to demand money.
The woman identified by A as the affair partner, referred to as B, also said "I have never met the people mentioned in this post" and added "Using my photo without permission and distributing it along with false information is clearly defamation. I am suffering misunderstandings and damage because of this. I have completed capturing and preserving evidence, and if the material is not deleted and corrected immediately, I will consider legal action."
Park Si-hoo's side also took action. His representatives said "We make clear that this is a groundless falsehood and will take prompt measures related to this," and, having appointed legal counsel, said they are preparing civil and criminal legal measures, including applying for mediation to the Korea Press Arbitration Commission and filing a defamation suit against the party who posted the false statements.
Three months later, on Nov. 21, Park Si-hoo's side provided an update on the ongoing situation. Legal representative law firm Hyemyeong said "The victim's claim that 'actor Park Si-hoo introduced women to a married man and was involved in the destruction of a family' is clearly false and groundless," adding "This case began when the suspect entered her divorced ex-husband's home and stole his mobile phone, then maliciously edited and distorted various stored conversations and photo files and posted them on social media. In connection with this, the suspect's ex-husband also filed a complaint against the suspect, and recently the police acknowledged charges including violation of the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection for publishing false information (defamation) and forwarded the case to the prosecution. Investigative agencies have confirmed that the suspect's posts were false or distorted. Because the posts about the ex-husband and actor Park Si-hoo are based on the same context and materials, it is clear that if the ex-husband's case is recognized, the case filed by actor Park Si-hoo will also be recognized."
In August, a close aide who had expressed anger about the allegation through OSEN spoke again. At the time the aide had said angrily, "What resentment would Park Si-hoo have toward his brother's wife? This kind of exposure seems intended only to kill the actor," and three months later, regarding the legal actions taken, the aide emphasized, "The allegation that Park Si-hoo arranged an affair is groundless," and added, "This incident began when the suspect entered her divorced ex-husband's home and stole his mobile phone. The police recognized the charges and forwarded the case to the prosecution, and investigative agencies confirmed the suspect's posts were false or distorted."
Park Si-hoo is preparing for the release of his screen comeback after about 10 years, Shinuiakdan. A close aide said, "As he returns to the screen after a long time as an actor, he will show a good side through the work."
Meanwhile, Park Si-hoo's screen comeback, Shinuiakdan, is a film that depicts the story of a fake praise troupe created in North Korea to earn foreign currency. It opens on Dec. 31.
OSEN=Jang Woo-young reporter