Is Seo Ye-ji’s career over? All you need to know about K-drama’s biggest scandal, from bullying accusations to claims she ‘controlled’ boyfriend Kim Jung-hyun

Apr 15 , 2021

K-drama actress Seo Ye-ji, seen here with former boyfriend Kim Jung-hyun, has been hit with multiple scandals concerned their relationship and her educational history. Photo: tvN, Barunson E&A/handout

Texts appear to show Seo Ye-ji demanding her then-boyfriend refuse to shoot any intimate love scenes with his K-pop co-star Seohyun for MBC’s drama Time

After online allegations of high school bullying, Seo skipped a press conference for upcoming film Recalled; then she was reportedly dropped from K-drama Island

Actress Seo Ye-ji, whose appearance in 2020’s It’s Okay to Not Be Okay made her a huge international star, is facing what may be the biggest crisis of her career. A few days after she was blamed for controlling her then-boyfriend, actor Kim Jung-hyun, while he was filming MBC’s romance drama Time, Seo has been accused of school bullying, mistreating staff and falsifying her educational background.

Seo Ye-ji as Ko Mun-yeong and Kim Soo-hyun as Moon Gang-tae in It’s Okay to Not Be Okay. Photo: TVN

Seo and Kim, co-stars of the 2018 romance film Stay with Me, were dating when Kim was shooting the Time series in the same year. On April 12, local tabloid Dispatch reported that at that time the actress demanded that her boyfriend decline to film any romantic scenes with his co-star Seohyun, of K-pop band Girls’ Generation.

Kim also drew unwanted attention in 2018 during the series’ press conference, answering questions unenthusiastically and giving Seohyun a weird look when she tried to grab his arm to pose for pictures.

Kim Jung-hyun was blamed for his appearance at the press conference for Time. Photo: MBC

In newly exposed text messages allegedly between Seo and Kim, Seo allegedly pressured Kim “to change the script to delete romantic scenes and physical contact” and to “act cold” toward female co-stars and staff. Seo also frequently made sure that he did not interact with any female staff or his co-star on set and, at one point, she even asked him to send a video of himself on the set.

Kim reportedly replied: “I didn’t even say hi to the female crew members. I wasn’t being friendly to others either.”