The Glory Villain Kim Hieora Admits To Being “Bystander” In Gang Of School Bullies, Her Victims Say She Did More Than That
Korean actress Kim Hieora, who gained popularity for her role as drug-addled bully Lee Sara in hit Netflix drama The Glory, has admitted to being part of a group of bullies when she was in middle school.
The 34-year-old’s revelation was in response to an exposé by Korean news outlet Dispatch yesterday (Sep 6) alleging Hieroa was a bully during her time at Sangji Girls’ High School.
It claimed the actress was part of “Big Sangji”, a group of students involved in extortion, assault, and theft.
According to one victim, the gang would go to classrooms and steal from students when they were at gym class.
While Hieora admitted to being part of Big Sangji, she claimed it wasn’t a group of bullies.
“At the time, it was popular to have an online community with your friends. Big Sangji was the name of the online community. It was not a secret place for only bullies,” she told Dispatch.
She also claimed she was a “bystander” and denied ever taking part in the activities.
“I did not participate in verbal abuse or assault,” she said. “Perhaps I didn’t take it seriously because it was the younger students who were being bullied. Thinking back it was a big mistake for me to be a bystander.”
“I would like to apologise,” she added.
Victims, however, claimed otherwise, asserting that not just anyone could join the gang.
They told Dispatch that Hieora had sent them on cigarette runs and took money from them.
They also said that her character in The Glory was “just like how she was when she was in middle school”.
Dispatch revealed that it had verified the bullying claims with Hieora in June but she pleaded with them to delay the report as she was concerned it would affect her drama The Uncanny Counter 2. The finale aired on Sep 3.
Photos: Dispatch, Netflix
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