Actor Jung Woong-in has spoken out regarding controversies that he bullied junior students during his college years.
Jung appeared alongside film director Jang Jin on the YouTube variety show "Zzanhan Bro", which was released on October 12. Jung and Jang are known to be classmates from the Theater Department at Seoul Institute of the Arts. Shin Dong-yeob, a junior from the same university who hosts the show, directly addressed past anecdotes related to Jung.
Shin said, "Because we are so close, we jokingly tease each other on broadcast, and I was surprised when stories emerged about him supposedly bullying juniors in school. Things that were meant to be entertaining on variety shows got blown out of proportion," and asked, "If there had been such personal hard feelings, would I have begged the production team to cast Jung Woong-in when planning the sitcom 'Three Friends'?"
Shin also explained the past anecdote about the "leg splitting" incident that was mentioned on a previous broadcast.
He stated, "It wasn't like they were forcefully torn apart, but expressions like 'torn' or 'burst' made it sound a bit intense. For me, even a slight stretch beyond 90 degrees causes capillaries to burst." He added that while trying to clear up the story, he suddenly remembered that Jung has three daughters, prompting him to think, "Ah, that's not it."
Previously, actors Ahn Jae-wook, Lee Chul-min, and other alumni of Seoul Institute of the Arts who appeared on variety shows sparked controversy by saying they were scared of Jung and avoided him back in their school days.
Regarding the rumors that stemmed from this, Jung said, "It is upsetting, but I will have to endure and bear it moving forward."
When it was suggested that "such an image seems to have formed because you are too good at playing villains," Jung shared an anecdote involving his daughters whenever he takes on villainous roles.
He shared that while riding in a car with his youngest daughter, a second-year middle school student, not long ago, he asked her, "What do you think about Dad playing villains?" To which she replied, "Dad plays villains because he is good at acting. Don't directors cast you because villainous roles require great acting?" Jung said, "I felt a brief thrill. It gave me a sense of pride and made me think that I need to do even better."
(Photo: Kang Kyung-yoon, SBS Entertainment News)
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