Actor Shim Eun-woo Maintains Innocence Amid School Violence Allegations

On March 21, 2025, actor Shim Eun-woo's representatives reiterated their claim of his innocence regarding allegations of school violence. They stated that clear evidence emerged during the investigation proving that Shim was not a perpetrator of school bullying, as confirmed in the investigation results. They clarified that the individual involved in the incident mentioned by the accuser, referred to as A, is someone else. While it is difficult to penalize A, the investigation yielded significant findings indicating that it is challenging to confirm whether school violence occurred.

Shim Eun-woo was embroiled in school violence allegations in March 2021, when A claimed that during their middle school years, Shim was a popular bully who led a group in ostracizing him. At that time, Shim expressed remorse, acknowledging that his immature behavior had caused emotional pain to a friend.

In March 2023, two years later, Shim revealed that he initially had no idea who had written the accusations and learned about them through a friend's contact. He and his agency denied the claims, as they could not acknowledge events they did not remember, which unintentionally led to a public dispute over the truth. He mentioned that he had met with A and A's sister to apologize, and his social media apology was misinterpreted as an admission of guilt regarding the bullying.

Shim filed a defamation lawsuit against A, but the police decided not to pursue charges, citing insufficient evidence. His representatives explained that for defamation to be established, it must be proven that A knowingly wrote false information. However, A continues to believe Shim is the perpetrator, leading to the decision of non-prosecution due to a lack of intent.

Despite this, Shim has lost the acting career he dreamed of and continues to suffer from excessive online harassment and ridicule. His representatives urged for an end to the spread of baseless rumors to allow Shim to reclaim his life and courage.

The timeline of events includes A repeatedly modifying their initial post from four years ago, which originally stated there was no physical violence, only to later claim that Shim had assaulted him. A also spread false information about Shim's agency seeking forgiveness, which was later retracted after the agency protested.

Witnesses, including classmates and teachers, have testified that A's claims are unfounded, with A being the only one asserting such allegations. A's father even requested a statement from a teacher who had never provided one, leading to the teacher's refusal to write a false statement.

A's demands shifted from seeking an apology to requesting monetary compensation, which Shim rejected, instead asking for a re-investigation. Although re-investigations are typically rare, this case was deemed necessary.

The police concluded that it was difficult to determine whether school violence had occurred, and Shim's representatives emphasized that the non-prosecution decision does not equate to an acknowledgment of school violence.

Shim's representatives expressed their hope that he can move past this unjust stigma and regain his courage, appealing for the cessation of false information dissemination.