Twenty-Five Twenty-One star Nam Joo Hyuk was accused of school bullying back in June 2022 by two different people. While his management company refuted the accusations, there was still no clarity about the truth behind the case. However, in recent developments, their commitment to pursue legal action has finally paid off, as the actor was cleared of all charges on February 8. 

Nam Joo-hyuk files defamation case against bullying accusers 

The two people who claimed that Joo-hyuk was a bully in school have been charged with defamation after it was found that the allegations were not true.

The two former classmates of the actor, a journalist and a netizen, have been charged with defamation under the Information and Communication Network Act. Now, they will be required to pay a fine, instead of proceeding with a trial.

Timeline of Nam Joo-hyuk’s bullying scandal

In June of 2022, a former classmate of Nam Joo Hyuk filed accusations that the actor had bullied him for more than six years, from middle school to high school. Two other pupils then came forward to report that the Twenty-Five Twenty-One actor had bullied them. 

Nonetheless, a large number of teachers and students from his alma mater came forward to back Joo Hyuk. The initial accuser's veracity was also called into question when they changed their story following threats of legal action by the K-drama star's label. 

Nam Joo Hyuk rose to fame as a model and starred in several music videos before making his acting debut in 2014 with The Idle Mermaid. His performance in the television series Who Are You: School 2015 catapulted him to fame, and he has since been recognized for his leading parts in some well-known dramas, such as Start Up (2020), Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo (2016), The Bride of Habaek (2017), The Light in Your Eyes (2019), and Twenty-Five Twenty-One (2022). 

Nam Joo Hyuk, who is currently serving his mandatory military duty, was last seen in the drama Vigilante in 2023.