Musical theater actor Kim Jun-young, 35, is pushing back after online rumors claimed he visited an illicit nightlife venue, with his agency calling the allegations false and signaling legal action.
The chatter began when a photo of a receipt allegedly from a restaurant he had visited surfaced on an online forum and was later removed. Some users pointed to women’s names and line items on the slip to speculate he’d been at an illegal hostess bar.
On Nov. 3, HJ Culture issued a statement firmly dismissing the claims. “We make it clear the actor has committed no illegal acts,” the agency said, adding, “These assertions are not true. We ask that people refrain from reckless speculation, spreading unverified information, and excessive interpretation.”
The company also warned it will respond decisively―including through legal means―against malicious falsehoods and defamation.
Kim is currently appearing in the musical "Rachmaninoff" and the play "Amadeus." With women making up a large share of musical theater audiences, personal scandals can be particularly damaging, keeping attention fixed on how this unfolds.
The situation echoes actor Lee Yi-kyung’s recent dust-up, which turned out to involve alleged AI fabrication: he was accused of exchanging explicit messages before the poster walked it back, claiming it started as a prank and relied on AI-manipulated images.
With Kim’s camp also hinting at legal action, many are watching to see whether this case similarly ends with a clear fact-check and accountability for those spreading rumors.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Kyung-youn)