South Korean actor Yoo Yeon Seok’s fans are heaving a sigh of relief after a recent social media rumour about his disrespectful behaviour towards a security guard at the building he lived in, was dispelled. A lawsuit has been filed against the person who posted the rumour.
According to multiple Korean entertainment news websites, last week, a netizen (who hasn’t been named) shared a social media post about the Hospital Playlist and Interest of Love star.
In the post, the netizen claimed that the actor had disrespected his father, who was a security guard at the actor's apartment six or seven years ago.
According to an article on a South Korean entertainment news website, koreaboo.com, the netizen said that the actor laughed at his father, and belittled him when the guard tried to strike up a conversation and asked the actor if a bicycle was his.
The author alleged that the actor mocked his father and responded, “Do you think I would ride a dirty old bicycle like this? Are you saying that’s mine?”
The post went on to say that the 38-year-old actor’s behaviour made the guard feel embarrassed and he quit his job.
The post about Yeon Seok, who is popular for his roles in hit dramas such as ‘Dr. Romantic’ and ‘Reply 1994’, went viral, the article said.
However, the chief of security at the building has come forward to set the record straight, and the actor’s fans cannot be happier.
Tweep @6thtottotj wrote: “Haters really have their ways to make issues…”
Debunking the rumours, the security guard stated: “The bicycle station of the officetel [a multi-purpose building] where Yoo Yeon Seok was rumoured to be staying, can be found in the second basement level of the underground parking lot. It is situated approximately 30 meters away from the security guard's office and is not within sight from there. Yeon Seok resided in complex 2, and its residents use their dedicated elevators, which made it uncommon for me to cross paths with him,” according to the article.
He added: “As the chief of security, I would have been aware if Yoo Yeon Seok had disrespected a security guard. It is important to note that Yeon Seok and I do not have any personal relationship. I would not have agreed to speak to the media if his behaviour had been inappropriate, and I would have thought to myself that this was bound to happen to him, but Yoo Yeon Seok is not that kind of person.”
On March 24, South Korean news outlet Maeil Kyungjae reported that the actor’s management agency, Starship Entertainment, had filed a lawsuit against the netizen who had spread the fake news.
“We have filed a lawsuit with the Seoul Police against the person who spread baseless rumors about the actor on March 23 on the grounds of defamation and libel,” a statement by Starship Entertainment said.
“This is a good move from his agency. People should know that there are consequences to their actions,” wrote Twitter user @xye29, replying to a news update.
And, @SugeniGu posted: “Great! People, there are consequences... don’t touch this man.”
Yoo Yeon Seok’s representative also released a statement in which they expressed regret for having to sue the netizen.
“[Yoo Yeon Seok] feels regretful about the situation, and as we stated earlier, we will proceed with pressing criminal charges for defamation against the person responsible for spreading the rumors,” the representative said.
Some news reports added that following the agency’s statement, the individual who wrote the original post released an apology stating that they wrote the post out of jealousy as Yoo Yeon Seok had suddenly risen to fame.
According to a Korean entertainment website, kdramastars.com, the author of the post said that they did not expect the situation to get this serious and that they are sorry towards actor Yoo Yeon Seok.
In response to the person’s new post, the agency firmly stated that they plan to file a complaint against the individual without leniency.
