Cho Byung-kyu denies school violence allegations again... "Confirmed 'No disciplinary record' in New Zealand" [Star Scene]

*This content was translated by AI.

Cho Byung-kyu's side reiterated in the appeal trial of a damages lawsuit related to school violence allegations that "there was no school violence."

The Seoul High Court's 13th Civil Division (B) held the first argument session on the 28th for Cho Byung-kyu's appeal against A, who raised the school violence allegations. Unlike the first trial, former agency HB Entertainment was removed from the appellant list, and the plaintiff's claim was reduced to approximately 900 million won. Additionally, today's trial was conducted via video conference.

At the scene, Cho Byung-kyu's legal representative appeared alongside A, who participated in the trial through audio only. Cho's lawyer stated, "A bears the responsibility of providing at least minimal evidence regarding the assault described in this disclosure," and added, "More than six months have passed since then, yet no submission has been made. Although A claimed during the first trial that they would request witness testimony, we ask the court to determine whether such a request is necessary."

Furthermore, the lawyer argued, "The essence of this case lies in whether the assault described in the disclosure actually exists," and noted, "The two individuals mentioned by A are only relevant to events occurring after the disclosure; thus, there is doubt about the necessity of witness examination. Moreover, we have officially confirmed that the school in New Zealand where Cho studied has no record of school violence allegations or disciplinary actions against him."

Additionally, the legal representative requested, "We ask for an opportunity to briefly examine a person who attended the same New Zealand school and class as Cho at the time as a witness."

Previously, the Seoul Central District Court's Civil Division 37, which handled the first trial, ruled in September 2025 that Cho Byung-kyu, HB Entertainment, and A were involved in a damages lawsuit worth approximately 4 billion won, ordering the plaintiff to lose. The court decided to reject all of Cho's claims and ordered the plaintiff to bear litigation costs.

At that time, Cho's side claimed, "A posted false content damaging our reputation, resulting in losses equivalent to 4 billion won due to terminated advertising model contracts and cancellations of drama, film, and variety show appearances," and demanded compensation including 200 million won for mental distress.

In response, the court stated, "Based solely on the evidence submitted by Cho's side, it is difficult to conclude that the posts were false." Regarding A's deletion of the disclosure post, the court remarked, "This appears not to be an admission of falsity but rather due to fear of criminal complaints and a massive damages lawsuit."

During the trial, approximately 20 statements from acquaintances submitted by Cho's side were not accepted as evidence. The court reasoned, "All these individuals are Cho's domestic acquaintances; it is difficult to verify the facts of an incident that occurred in New Zealand," and concluded that the statements did not prove false claims.

Among the acquaintances were some who studied abroad with Cho in New Zealand, but the court rejected them, stating, "These individuals are recognized as having a significant personal relationship with Cho."

In response, Cho's side appealed against the first-trial verdict.

Meanwhile, it is reported that the case where Cho Byung-kyu filed a criminal complaint against A for defamation also received a decision not to prosecute.

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*This content was translated by AI.