This article includes descriptions of bullying that may disturb some readers.
Dispatch revealed a letter written by Kim Hieora in response to the actor’s denial of allegations revealed in a previous exposé.
Kim Hieora
Previously, Kim Hieora’s label firmly denied all of the allegations that were brought up in Dispatch’s previous article, shedding light on Kim Hieora’s alleged troubled past.
Dispatch, in response, has released a handwritten letter given to them by Kim Hieora herself. The following is a translation of the article and letter.
May 17, 2023, Dispatch’s conference room.
We met and spoke to Kim Hieora for about two hours. Kim Hieora tried her best to remember facts and told us her side,
It’s impossible for the accuser’s memory to be all truth So is Kim Hieora’s memory. This is how difficult it is to prove memories are true.
Dispatch wrote about Big Sangji, community service, and her role as an on-looker, which she admitted. We didn’t include allegations that we couldn’t prove.
Kim Hieora’s label called our report “Baseless,” but the report isn’t too far from Kim Hieora’s handwritten letter. We are releasing Kim Hieora’s handwritten letter. We waited three months (before releasing the article) because the letter included her admittance and repentance.
Kim Hieora’s letter | Dispatch
To Kim So Jung (Dispatch journalist)…
The weather has become very hot. I am very sorry and thankful that you are spending energy (on me) during this hot weather when surely you’re busy.
Although there are a lot of things I want to say, after meeting 00 I’ve realized that they would be useless. Despite this, although this may discomfort you, I would like to at least tell you my side.
I admit that I rebelled when I was an immature youth, and now I am very embarrassed and ashamed of that youth and even suspicious of her when my memory fails me. When I was young, because my name and looks were different, I was teased wherever I went. When, in my second year of Middle School, my cousin became a big issue, I realized that rather than being teased and outcasted, I wanted to receive attention. I believe I saw life (then) through an immature lens.
But I swear on my conscience that the reason I went from theatre acting to challenging myself to broadcasting and dramas is because, in my heart, I believed I had never bullied or physically harmed someone. Schools have rules and punishments because students aren’t able to make the best decisions, and therefore, they are told to study during a designated time, and that is why there are classes. [sic]
Kim Hieora’s letter | Dispatch
During that time… Although I made a lot of mistakes, I’ve now learned that our presence alone could be intimidating and threatening to others. But I learned a lot from my teachers and wanted to become someone teachers could trust. So, from the second semester of my third year in Middle School, I wanted to become a better person and someone who is trustworthy, so I tried my best to become a better student and to become someone who was a positive influence. [sic]
I thought about how my accusers labeled me as the group’s head. I think it’s because I don’t talk a lot that people think I am shy or that my first impression is scary. There are times whe people think I have gravitas and so respect me.
That is why my head went blank when hoobaes from my youth said I was someone they feared… Because I have never hit students or played a role in bullying them, this is something I could have never imagined. This made me look back at myself and self-examine why they thought I was the leader of the bullies and the things that I stayed silent on. I was more shocked because this personality has helped me succeed as an adult.
Today, that personality has helped me live life graciously while communicating with and helping those in need or those preparing to become actors.
I am not saying I was a kind child in my past. But, although I admit I was immature, I would like to tell you that I have never caused harm to someone for no reason.
