'SKY Castle' Amid School Bullying Controversy: 20s Male Actor Leaves Korea to Recruit Japanese Fan Club

*This content was translated by AI.

Actor Kim Dong-hee, who halted his activities in Korea amid a school bullying controversy, has begun recruiting a fan club in Japan.

On the 1st, Kim Dong-hee’s official Instagram posted a notice recruiting for his official Japanese fan club, 'D:EAR,' along with the message, "It has finally opened. Please support us."

On Kim Dong-hee’s official X account in Japan, it was explained: "'D:EAR' is a fan club name combining the 'D' from DONGHEE and 'DEAR,' which means 'precious person.' It expresses the hearts of fans who are precious to Kim Dong-hee and those who cherish Kim Dong-hee."

Recently, he has been sharing updates that appear to be from a photoshoot related to his activities in Japan. On his SNS, comments and support have primarily come from Japanese and foreign fans rather than Korean fans.

Kim Dong-hee signed an exclusive contract with Neos Entertainment last January and has been previewing new activities. He has already been sharing news from Japan, including holding fan meetings there.

Kim Dong-hee was rising as a star through the web drama 'Eighteen,' JTBC drama 'SKY Castle,' 'Itaewon Class,' and Netflix's 'Human Class,' but in 2021, he became embroiled in controversy after an online post alleged that he had committed school bullying, including tormenting a classmate with a disability during his school days.

He denied allegations of being a school bullying perpetrator, but after whistleblowers who sued him for defamation received a "no grounds for prosecution" ruling, he partially admitted to the allegations and apologized a year later.

Through his agency in 2022, Kim Dong-hee stated, "In fifth grade of elementary school, I got into a verbal argument with a classmate in the classroom, which led to a fight, and I was scolded by the teacher. After the post was uploaded last year, I wanted to apologize to my friend immediately, but I was afraid that apologizing would make it seem like I admitted to everything I didn't do and cause further misunderstandings. I also wanted to correct the false parts, so I spent the past year doing so. I believe I did not fully understand my friend's feelings due to my immature judgment and thoughts at the time. I sincerely apologize for the hurt my friend suffered because of me, and I want to move forward from here."

At the time, Kim Dong-hee denied ever holding scissors or a utility knife, but it was reported that he admitted to actions such as kicking and pushing his friend's chest area.

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*This content was translated by AI.