I had already declared to the company that I had severed all ties with my family and would no longer respond to any matters related to them. Still, this incident was something I just couldn’t ignore. That’s why I had arranged to meet Actress Hwiyoung, the victim of the sexual harassment case. When I arrived at the office of her agency at the appointed time, an actress whose face I had often seen on TV, dressed in a suit that completely covered her skin, stood up from her seat and greeted me first.
“Hello, Seungbeom-ssi. I had hoped we could meet under better circumstances, but it seems this is how it has turned out. How is your health? I heard you collapsed, so I was really worried.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I had also thought I would like to meet you one day, but it’s unfortunate that it had to be under these circumstances. My health has mostly recovered now, so there’s no need to worry about me.”
‘…I was expecting that she would just lash out at me, pouring all her resentment as soon as we met.’
In fact, I had considered reaching out to her first. But from her perspective, seeing me—Han Jaewoon’s older brother on his family registry—might have been the last thing she wanted. Considering that possibility, I hesitated. So, when I met her in person, I couldn’t help but be a little surprised by her attitude, which was far different from what I had expected.
Nevertheless, she didn’t let her inner feelings show, giving me a calm, slight bow before gesturing for me to take a seat. As soon as she sat down herself, she started speaking.
“This situation must have caused you a great deal of trouble. We truly intended to be careful so that Seungbeom-ssi’s name wouldn’t be mentioned from our side, but things got out of our control. Regardless of the wrong your younger brother did to me, I’m genuinely sorry that Seungbeom-ssi, who was entirely innocent, ended up being harmed as a result.”
I was curious why she wanted to meet me in the first place, but it seemed she had been feeling guilty about the trouble I went through because of the inaccurate articles.
Normally, in situations like this, most people would be so caught up in the injustice they’ve suffered that it would be hard for them to see beyond their own pain. Yet even in such a state, the fact that she was still able to consider someone else’s situation made me think—despite having only just met her—that she was incredibly, almost foolishly, honest person.
I immediately shook my head and flatly denied it, “It’s alright. That’s just how the media is. It’s something I already knew well, and it’s definitely not your fault, Hwiyoung-ssi. So, there’s no need for you to apologize.”
I didn’t apologize to her for what Han Jaewoon had done. Since I had already drawn a clear line between Han Jaewoon’s family and myself, offering her an apology on Han Jaewoon’s behalf could have made it seem like I was on their side.
‘I could do it if I wanted to … but given her personality, I don’t think she’d appreciate it.’
I wasn’t here to beg for her forgiveness as a member of Han Jaewoon’s family, so I decided to say something other than an apology.
“You stated that you wouldn’t show any leniency and would fight to the end. Hwiyoung-ssi, I sincerely hope that you achieve the outcome you’re hoping for as soon as possible and that you can regain at least some peace of mind.”
My calm words seemed to fluster her a bit, and she lost the composure she had just moments before, her lips parting ever so slightly. Then, in a soft voice, she cautiously asked.
“The rumors that were going around on the internet … it seems they were actually true.”
She only seemed to truly realize that all those sensational rumors about my family circulating on the internet were indeed true after hearing me not defend Han Jaewoon and even say things that seemed to support her. Just as I had done with others, I didn’t answer her question, offering only a faint smile in return.
It was because I didn’t want to experience the kind of situation where I would end up taking the blame for agreeing with such vague statements. Among the posts criticizing Han Jaewoon, some were true, while others were false.
“…….”
Seeing my reaction, Hwiyoung seemed to realize her mistake and exclaimed “Ah!” in a flustered tone, waving her hands wildly as she apologized and told me I didn’t need to answer. I waved back to signal that it was fine, then took a sip of the coffee in front of me.
“I can only imagine the emotional distress you’ve gone through because of this incident. How are you doing now?”
Then, to ease her tension, I smoothly steered the conversation back to its original topic in a calm, gentle voice. From my perspective, she seemed like a young sprout in her early twenties, so it felt natural for me to act that way. Plus, because of my naturally intimidating appearance, I had grown accustomed to speaking more gently to people much smaller than me.
At my question, she lowered her head slightly, her gaze falling to the floor, and after being lost in thought for a moment, she spoke again.
“It was hard. It was really, really hard. Everything, from what Han Jaewoon did to me, to everything that happened to me afterward.”
“What happened afterward?”
“I wanted to bring this matter to a proper close. The person who committed the wrong should receive the punishment he deserves … But the CEO of my agency and even my fellow celebrities all tried to talk me out of it. They asked why I would destroy everything I’ve worked so hard to build just to punish one foolish man. They told me that I should just endure it a little longer and let it go.”
Hearing those words, I could roughly guess what had happened to her.
[Ah, so where exactly did he touch you lolol Since he doesn’t seem to remember, let’s just make the CCTV footage public, go go]
[Anyone have the CCTV footage? Please share]
[It’s such a shame that her image is ruined. It wasn’t even a sexual assault; if it was just about touching her arms and legs, she should have just kept quiet ㅜㅜ]
[I didn’t see Hwiyoung that way, but she really gives off this aggressive and irritable vibe… I’m still supporting her, but it’s a bit hard to get used to this side of her]
[She was an actress who marketed herself with a pure and innocent image, so it’s unavoidable that her image is going to hit rock bottom kk]
The world was vast, and there were plenty of idiots out there. I myself have often come across malicious commenters who, instead of supporting the victim, saw her as an easy target now that she had a flaw. Some even went as far as committing sexual harassment or seeing her as someone who caused discomfort and fatigue. There’s no way she, as the one directly mentioned, hasn’t seen those things too.
“It looks like I might even get dropped from the movie I was in talks for. Before all this happened, everyone kept saying, ‘Hwiyoung-ssi, you’d be perfect for the role‘, but now they’ve all gone quiet. The last thing I heard was, ‘It seems like you’re not quite the right fit for this character‘.”
Hwiyoung was an actress who built her career on a pure ‘first love’ image, thanks to her naturally clear, fair skin, delicate features, and long, straight hair. Since the public often has an absurd obsession with linking innocence to purity, this incident ended up dealing a serious blow to her image.
‘I can’t believe they’re all turning their backs on her, even though the CCTV footage wasn’t leaked.’
Even though she hadn’t done anything wrong.
This was a deep-rooted issue within the industry; it’s the victim’s image that gets damaged more than the perpetrator’s.
‘That’s why I tried to avoid using Jo Inchan’s original video as much as possible.’
Hwiyoung was lucky that a staff member who had been present at the time testified, allowing her to prove she was a victim without having to make the CCTV footage public. However, even with that, it was far from an easy process.
She had lost too much in order to bring this incident to light.
“To be honest, I’m really hurt inside, but I do understand where they’re coming from to some extent. Not everything in life is always going to be perfect or glamorous, but I chose a job where I have to appear as though I’m living that kind of life to the public. They probably just wanted to prevent anything that might diminish my value as a product in order to protect the company’s profits. I even felt the same way myself. The thought of everything I’ve worked for collapsing in an instant was so devastating that I kept wanting to give up on everything.”
After pouring out her words in one breath, she inhaled deeply and finally lifted her head, which had been fixed toward the table the entire time.
“…Han Jaewoon-ssi is the one who did something wrong, so why is my image the one being ruined? Why should I be the one who’s scared and forced to disappear from sight?”
Her eyes held a light so vivid that not even the despair and hardship of reality could dim it, and for a moment, I couldn’t help but hold my breath. The more she voiced her thoughts, the stronger she seemed to become.
“I want a just society. A society where my future juniors can pursue their dreams to the fullest without having to remain silent when they face the same situation.”
“…….”
“To create that kind of society, someone has to start speaking up. And they must win without retreating. I only want two things. For that person to be completely expelled from this industry and never return. And for me to survive as an actress until the end and set a precedent.”
Then, with a face that reflected the firm resolve in her heart, she met my gaze and continued.
“The apology letters keep coming. But I could tell they had been revised by a lawyer, as they were very different from his usual writing and speaking style. There wasn’t anything I could find fault with. He’ll likely receive a reduced sentence, even if I don’t forgive him. One of the reasons I wanted to meet Seungbeom-ssi today was to apologize, but but there’s another reason too. I have something to ask.”
“Go ahead, please.”
“…Was Han Jaewoon-ssi truly reflecting on his actions? Did he have any intention of disappearing from this industry of his own accord?”
I closed my eyes tightly in response to the question, then shook my head. At that, Hwiyoung lowered her head and clenched her fist. Then, in a low voice, she murmured, “I knew it. He said it while drunk after I got angry. He told me that in the end, it would only be me who would lose out if I made an issue of it. Still … I just wanted to make sure.”
“…….”
“…….”
After that, a cold silence followed.
As I observed the clear disappointment on her face, I lost myself in thought for a moment. Then, I took out a USB from my pocket and quietly placed it on the table. I slowly nudged it with my fingertip, pushing it toward Hwiyoung
Then she looked up at me with a questioning look in her eyes, as if to say, “What is this?“. I briefly glanced at her, took a small sip of my coffee to moisten my mouth, and then quietly began to speak
“This is evidence that Han Jaewoon is not truly reflecting on his actions.”
As soon as she heard the answer, she looked at me with wide eyes, clearly in disbelief. Then, she took out the laptop that was on the office table and played the recording file on it.
“…Why are you giving this to me? It won’t do you any good, Seungbeom-ssi.”
That was the first thing she said after listening to the entire recording.
[“In another family, they would have just abandoned you at an orphanage. But I tried to take responsibility for you until the end. Even while hearing hundreds, thousands of times that I was raising someone else’s child, I did my best! And now, you can’t even do this one thing for me?”]
It was only natural for her to ask that, as the recording plainly contained the attacks from Han Jaewoon’s family directed at me. Evidence loses its power when edited, so I handed her the original file without cutting any of the content.
It was almost a foregone conclusion that if this recording was released to the public, my image would be damaged even further. Because, as I mentioned before, this industry is incredibly harsh toward victims. However, in this matter, I couldn’t afford to hesitate.
I stared into her eyes without wavering and answered softly,
“For a just society.”
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Translator’s Corner:
This chapter alone makes this story a solid 5 stars in my heart
No … it’s just so, so beautiful … you remember how Yutae is. During the entire Survive Idol, from when he was attacked by Frick to Do Yuda getting bullied to Baek Kiryang, he was so determined on solving their hardship without letting the public know. Same with what happened with Prism. And he was so right of that. Part of the reason I really like about this story is, the author got all the details about the idol right. This is just the reality of being idols. Sobs stories aren’t welcomed. But in this chapter, MC decided to help … fully knowing that it would hurt his own image …. who wants a group hug
Anyway, this will be very a long rant, and I know a lot would probably have different views on this matter, but let’s set the fanwar aside since I want to make a point why I said this story is realistic….
You know, I actually once read someone saying the tler of this novel makes the kpop industry sound really scary … but guys … it’s indeed that scary … probably way scarier than we actually knew.
Like if you’re in k-ent scene, you must have seen the ongoing Kim Soohyun’s case. The scariest thing about that case is, everyone in the industry knows, or at least they have an idea. It has been a rumor for years. It was an open secret for that industry that he dated a 14 years old, yet no one said anything. A lot of celebrities still friends with him. This is not even a kpop group where the contract forced you to act friendly and like a family even though you hate each other. It’s an acting industry, the top of Korean entertainment industry, friendship is something actors and actresses chose on their own….. yet there’s a lack, super lack of coverage of this matter. The family stated that all medias turned them down that they have no choice to ask a famous sensational gossip youtuber for help. All the “clarifications” for the man’s side made it to the news, while only a few wrote a reports in the victims’ favor. The only reason the case blew up is because social media. You can control news outlet, but not social media. What can they do to twitter, for example? Nothing.
Then, if you shift to K-Pop scene, there’s an ongoing NewJeans vs Hybe case. I have a lot of hesitations for this one because there’s another group that has been harmed and both sides claim different things, so it’s a matter of which one you want to believe, but as I always said, always listen to the artist first. Maybe not the idols involved since there’s a subjectivity involved, but the other idols who are also experiencing the same industry. This case actually shocked me so much because … I have been a K-Pop fan ever since SNSD still had 9 members, you know, but last year was truly the first time I found out that under Korean’s labor laws, idols are not considered workes, so they are not protected by Labor Laws, and their human rights as a worker is not guaranteed by the laws. It also explained why a lot of minors can become an idol … legally, minors can’t work…..
Like yeah, you really won’t believe it, but Kim Yiwol from Assistant Manager Kim has more worker rights while working as a corporate slave than as an idol …. we always said kpop industry treated idol as a product not as human, but apparently, even the laws supported it …. the reason is because they’re not under your usual employment contract, but more like collaboration contract, but that’s a whole bullshit ??? Like if it’s not employment, and both parties has equal standing, idol can just quit anytime they want. But in truth, companies can kick their artist, but idol can’t just leave without going through years of legal process.
Okay back to NewJeans case. You might think they have a lot of support before the whole losing the injuction happened (actually, losing is the expected outcome … EXO members, LOONA, Lai Guanlin, everyone lost at first but they kept appealing until they won), but in truth, they didn’t. Most korean news are actually against them since the very beginning. You would be surprised to see the numbers of false articles published by popular medias that later got corrected because they got reported to the … I forgot the name of the government cultural organization. Even KBS recently issued an apology for publishing misinformating and biased news about them. That’s the reality of what happened if you went against a big company. It’s not, and never will be, an equal relationship. The company will have much, much more power than the artist. Global side is better in the terms of news coverage, but it’s so much worse for the netizen reaction because … well, international fandoms fanwar contributed the most, but other issue is, the agency’s PR agency is literally the same PR team who represented Johnny Deep during his trials against Amber Heard, and the same one who launched a whole smear campaign on Blake Lively last year.
I knew a lot of people were calling them liars etc, but honestly, personally, when I saw how people reacted so negatively to them, I got reminded about how my idol used to receive the same treatment too, and everyone knew the ending. I just wish they won’t end up in the same ending. And even I felt like this is the worse hate campaign I’ve ever seen in kpop … of course there’s always a room a doubt that they might be the one in the wrong, but between a group filled with young women and a big company with a lot of shady records, I can’t help but lean my trust to the latter … and it makes me worry for the another group that got dragged in this. If you follow the case closely, you will see that the label really threw them into pack of wolves as a shield … if the “plagiarism” accusation was proven true (I’m seriously already tired of this, but the accused agency delayed the trial again, just when will it ends….), the fault would only lie on the company for being incompetent. Those kids have no choice but to follow everything the agency told them to. But of course those grown ups would hide behind them and let them take all the hates …. they said they would sue hate comments, but if they really care about protecting their artist, they would put them so far away from this mess…….
Setting all the fanwars aside (I know everyone have different opinions on this, and I don’t have any idea which one is right. We don’t know the whole truth, so I hope no one is fighting), I hope NewJeans can safely finish their matter. Because the damage would be fatal if they lost. If they win, the momentum would definitely lead to some new laws regarding the rights of idols. But if they lost …. let’s just say there’s no hope for that industry. I’m not even a fan of them (honestly I dislike their CEO so much, and I hate how they have exact same colors with RV (I’m childish)), but from objective point of view, they’re the current #1 favorite girlgroup among Koreans nowadays. If a group that’s considered the Nation’s Daughters can get ignored by the media like that, imagine how worse it must have been for the so-called “nugu” group.
Even when all of this big celebrities issue happening, there’s a lot of ongoing abuse controvery of unpopular groups. Fantasy Boys recently got into news because the members repeteadly making SOS hand signals for abuse victims during live and music show. A member of girlgroup MADEIN got kicked out after reporting their CEO for sexual harassment, and the CEO still hanging around the rest of the group until this day. I really hope the latter doesn’t follow the same outcome with Somyi case .. in Somyi’s case, she reported her CEO for SA too, and ended up getting sentenced herself…. (thankfully, she didn’t actually went into jail, but was put in probation for 2 years). Korea justice system is already a joke, but it became a whole new level a joke when it came to idol industry because they’re not protected by the laws.
Last, when I watched the whole netizen reactions about NewJeans case, I saw a lot of people saying “their seniors had it worse!” “ABCDEFG went through worse but they never complained!” and guys … that’s also the reason why the idol industry is so cruel toward idols … even their fans themselves took their hardships as granted, as if it’s something to be proud about. Like, if you’re an idol, would you try telling your pain to the world if even your own fans are bragging that you endured everything in silence ….
One of the things that Sulli said that really sticks with me was, “Even when I don’t agree about some women, I’ve come to root for them for being empowered enough to speak for themselves. Simply for that.” and I just think that’s .. very beautiful. As Hwiyoung in this chapter said, “To create that kind of society, someone has to start speaking up”.
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