Korean celebrities reveal painful school bullying experiences

Korean television personality Lee Hye-sung has opened up about her painful experience of being bullied during her school years, drawing renewed attention to similar revelations by celebrities including actor Park Seo-joon, singer Sung Si-kyung and travel YouTuber KwakTube.

On Friday, Lee discussed the bestselling self-help book “The Courage to Be Disliked” on her YouTube channel, Lee Hye-sung’s 1% Book Club, offering advice to people struggling with school bullying and social exclusion.

“If you think school is the only community where you belong, it can be incredibly painful when you’re bullied or can’t make friends,” Lee said. “I’ve been through it myself.”

Reflecting on her middle school years, Lee said she had struggled to see beyond the difficult circumstances she faced at the time.

“When I was younger, in middle school, I couldn’t think that way. There wasn’t an adult around who could tell me something like that, either,” she said. “That’s why the situation was so incredibly painful and difficult.”

Her candid account has brought renewed attention to other Korean celebrities who have spoken publicly about being bullied during their school years.

Actor Park Seo-joon previously discussed his experience of being bullied during a 2024 appearance on singer Sung Si-kyung’s YouTube channel.

“I was bullied a bit when I was young,” Park said. “I was bullied in elementary school, and naturally became a very quiet student in middle school.”

During the conversation, Sung also shared his own experience for the first time.

“This is actually the first time I’ve talked about it, but the years from first through fourth grade were hell for me,” Sung said.

He recalled being intimidated by other students who would tell him to stay behind after school.

“They would say, ‘Stay after class.’ Back then, I never hit anyone, and I hated fighting,” he said. “Looking back, I think that was better than hitting someone.”

Travel YouTuber KwakTube, whose real name is Kwak Joon-bin, has also spoken about the lasting impact of school bullying.

During an appearance on tvN’s talk show “You Quiz on the Block,” Kwak said he had endured persistent bullying from elementary school through high school.

He eventually dropped out during his first year of high school because he could no longer bear the harassment.

Kwak also discussed struggling with social anxiety afterward, which left him unable to leave his home for a period.

The accounts from celebrities known for their cheerful public personas have once again highlighted the emotional scars that school bullying can leave behind, even years after the abuse has ended.

Their stories have also drawn attention to the importance of support and understanding for young people experiencing bullying and social isolation.

This article from Xportsnews was adapted by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.