Seventeen Member Kim Mingyu Faces Sexual Harassment and Bullying Accusations
As K-Pop rises in popularity across the globe, performers are facing increased scrutiny into both their current and past behavior. Now, Kim Mingyu of Seventeen is facing accusations that he was bully in school, alongside accusations of sexual harassment.
Kim Mingyu’s ex-classmate claims bullying
Several different posters have come forward in online communities, claiming that Kim Mingyu of Seventeen was a bully during his school days. According to All KPop, one such poster claimed that Kim Mingyu was a member of a delinquent group of students.
They went on to claim that he often skipped class, smoked and drank underage, and stole money from students.
Screenshots of group chats, also provided by All KPop, suggest that Kim Mingyu also bullied several students during his time in school. Messages purport that Mingyu used to throw desks and garbage at one student.
“The victims have been talking about this issue before it surfaced. They were hesitant to reveal the truth because Mingyu was a popular idol member,” wrote one of the original posters.
“We decided to raise our voice because we saw another person on Nate Pann speak up. We are afraid we will get retaliation from the perpetrator and his fans, but we want to reveal that he’s not a nice person that a lot of people believe,” they added.
Pledis Entertainment has released a statement denying the accusations of bullying.
“We have confirmed with Mingyu that the claims are groundless and completely false. We do not understand who is making these claims and with what intention,” they wrote.
Kim Mingyu of Seventeen faces sexual harassment claims
Unfortunately, bullying is not the only allegation Kim Mingyu of Seventeen is facing. A female student came forward on online community Nate Pann on February 25, claiming that Mingyu had sexually harassed her during their time in school.
“That boy would also…say sexual jokes around me. He would say those things even with the teacher around,” wrote the original poster.
“It was to the point the teacher had to say, ‘Don’t say those things since we have girls here.’ It wasn’t as bad when the teacher was there, but he didn’t change a bit when the teacher wasn’t in the classroom.”
“I am suffering from depression and anxiety, so I didn’t want to fight against someone if I do make this post. I also thought he was only bad to me. However, I decided to write this post because so many people were shielding him from the other allegations,” she added.
Fans react to the Seventeen news
Netizens have had mixed reactions to the news about Kim Mingyu and Seventeen. While some have dismissed the claims as “haters” trying to bring Mingyu down, others are pointing out that the accusers should be heard.
“The fact that anyone is dismissing claims as ‘haters’ shows how far the music industry’s propaganda machine has come in creating a rabid fan base,” pointed out one Redditor.
“IDK what to say. Seventeen has the brightest image… if this is all true (and I agree it’s pretty damning evidence) it really just shows once more that you can’t take the image idols present to the world at face value,” added another.
“Before anyone starts questioning the victim, just letting you that the victim has provided documentation from when she had to seek therapy, in which she has talked about what exactly happened in her sessions, due to this situation and provided proof that she and Mingyu attended the same middle school,” noted another Redditor.
How to get help: In the U.S., call the RAINN National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 to connect with a trained staff member from a sexual assault service provider in your area.
