Singer and musical actress Ok Joo Hyun revisited the 'Ok jangpan' controversy from four years ago and shared a lengthy statement about her feelings. After mentioning the incident during recent interactions with fans and saying "the thing I regret most is withdrawing the lawsuit," she ultimately organized her position again directly on social media, drawing attention to whether Kim Ho Young will respond.
Ok Joo Hyun said in an interview with Xportsnews on the 7th, "For many years I have endured to show my best efforts and performances within the genre called musical," and "but because of the frame called 'Ok jangpan' that began with one person's remark, it became controversial every time I worked on a production."
Earlier, Ok Joo Hyun again mentioned the so-called 'Ok jangpan incident,' saying on a fan communication platform, "I was told it was a post uploaded to promote a friend's father's jangpan." The 'Ok jangpan' controversy began in 2022 when actor Kim Ho Young posted on social media, "Asaripan is a thing of the past. Now it's Ok jangpan," amid casting for the 10th anniversary of the musical Elisabeth. At the time, Ok Joo Hyun sued Kim Ho Young for defamation, but as the controversy grew with a joint statement from musical actors and others, she ultimately withdrew the lawsuit and the matter was settled.
However, in this interview Ok Joo Hyun said, "I never received an apology, and I only heard the explanation that they withdrew the lawsuit and that it was a post to promote a friend's father's jangpan," and "what I regret most after that incident is withdrawing the lawsuit." She added, "I was tormented by the 'Ok jangpan' image that did not need to be attached to me. A junior was cast on merit but could not receive congratulations and spent nights in tears," and confessed, "I felt like I was causing harm to productions whenever I joined a show. So I once decided not to appear for the sake of others because I did not want to harm a production."
She went on, "Kim Ho Young is also someone who has been involved in the musical world longer than I have," but added, "as the person who caused this commotion, whether it is an excuse or the truth, I think there is a need to explain himself at least once with integrity."
Later, in the early hours of the 8th, Ok Joo Hyun posted a long message on her social media and once again expressed her feelings. She began, "It took a long time to write this post," and "I thought that pretending to be okay and remaining silent was the best course. Although I have expressed my position through multiple interviews and articles, I felt that why I had to say such things and what I had endured were not properly conveyed."
She continued, "At the time I withdrew the lawsuit because I did not want to escalate the controversy, and I heard explanations that 'I never targeted anyone' and that it was 'a post uploaded to promote a friend's father's Ok jangpan,' so I decided not to discuss the matter further." But she lamented, "The frame did not disappear with time," adding, "the term 'Ok jangpan' became a nickname attached to my name, and I had to endure long periods of suspicion, ridicule and criticism."
She also wrote, "It was not something that ended as a simple joke or happening. It actually affected my image, advertising and work activities, and even when choosing or giving up roles I had to worry whether that frame would become a burden to others."
Ok Joo Hyun emphasized, "I even once decided to withdraw from a production for the sake of everyone. I did not want to cause further harm to a production," and said, "In that process I felt sorrow that I belonged to this musical community, and so I opened my heart to fans. That was separate from professional conscience."
She went on, "It may be an old story to someone, but to me it left deep scars on my life and career as an actor," and said, "If those words really were not aimed at me, I want to ask why so many people thought of me, and why the damage and wounds caused by it were never explained to the public even once," prompting speculation that she was directly demanding an explanation from Kim Ho Young.
Meanwhile, Kim Ho Young posted a short note reading "NY" on his social media along with photos showing his daily life in New York, U.S. With no further comment on his recent status, attention is focused on whether Kim Ho Young will issue a separate statement as Ok Joo Hyun once again mentioned the 'Ok jangpan' controversy in a lengthy statement.
[Photo] 'OSEN DB'
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