The director of the hit K-drama ‘The Glory’ is now in hot waters over allegations of bullying when he was still studying in the Philippines in 1996.
Ahn Gil-ho, the director, admitted the incident and has apologized for the matter.
Shortly before the premiere of the series’ second season, anonymous comments said that Ahn physically assaulted his classmates at an international school in the Philippines in 1996.
The incident was reported to Korea JoongAng Daily last March 10.
“I do not want to cause controversy just because Ahn is doing well. I just find it absurd and unforgivable that a perpetrator of school bullying would direct a television show about bringing school bullies to justice. So, I decided to make this public,” the anonymous writer said.
In another report, the anonymous writer said that Ahn was triggered because they teased his girlfriend at that time.
“If Ahn denies these claims, classmates who have been bullied and assaulted by Ahn at the international school are ready to testify… if Ahn comes forward to say that he will take legal action against these allegations, we will also actively respond,” the writer said.
Ahn initially denied the claims while the production firm of ‘The Glory’ said they will investigate the matter.
On March 12, the director through his lawyer Kim Mun-hui then issued an apology and acknowledged the incident.
“We ask for understanding in that there was a slight delay in time from the initial report to announcing our stance. Director Ahn Gil-ho had a girlfriend whom he started dating at the time while studying abroad in the Philippines in 1996, and when he heard that his girlfriend became subject to teasing at school due to him, he momentarily got emotional and gave another person an unforgettable wound,” the director said.
The director also said sorry to those who may have been hurt because of the incident.
“Ahn Gil-ho asks for forgiveness from deep within his heart to those who were hurt by this incident. If given the opportunity, he would like to meet the person, or at least contact through phone, to convey his apology. He apologizes for causing controversy over an unfortunate incident,” the statement said.
