[Sportschosun Jo Min-jeong] Musical actress Ock Joo-hyun has been speaking out day after day after bringing up the Okjangpan controversy from four years ago again. Public attention is now focused on whether Kim Ho-young, who was at the center of the dispute at the time, will step forward and state his position.
On the 6th, through a fan communication platform, Ock Joo-hyun referred to the Okjangpan controversy that surfaced in 2022 and said, "I laughed bitterly at the word 'Okjangpan,' which I had forgotten about."
She recalled the situation, saying, "I never received an apology," and added, "All I heard was, 'Thank you for dropping the complaint. But I never targeted my older sister,' along with an explanation that he was only promoting a flooring business run by a friend's father."
She also claimed that her advertising contracts suffered major damage at the time. Ock Joo-hyun explained, "An ad for a diet probiotic was taken down just five days after the incident," and "I was in a situation where I would have had to pay triple the penalty unless I proved I was not at fault. So I had no choice but to file a complaint." She went on to say, "Looking back, the thing I regret most is withdrawing the complaint," and added, "At some point, my nickname changed from 'Okcream' and 'Okcorn' to 'Okjangpan.' That is the saddest part."
The Okjangpan controversy began in 2022, when suspicions of favoritism in casting for the musical Elisabeth emerged.
When Kim Ho-young posted a message and photo on his social networking service account saying, "Chaos is an old word. Now it's Okjangpan," online speculation spread that he was targeting Ock Joo-hyun. Ock Joo-hyun later filed a defamation complaint against Kim Ho-young, while his side explained that the post was meant to promote a flooring business run by a friend's father and that there was no intention to attack Ock Joo-hyun. The legal dispute ended after Ock Joo-hyun withdrew the complaint.
However, as Ock Joo-hyun publicly revisited the situation four years later, the controversy appears to be flaring up again.
Coincidentally, on the same day, Kim Ho-young only shared photos from his trip to New York on his social networking service and did not offer any separate comment on Ock Joo-hyun's remarks. He posted updates showing himself smiling as he traveled around New York, but he has remained silent so far on the Okjangpan controversy.
As Ock Joo-hyun continues to speak about her sense of unfairness and regret, attention is also turning to whether Kim Ho-young, who has regularly communicated with the public through YouTube and social networking service accounts, will directly address the latest controversy.
Jo Min-jeong mj.cho@sportschosun.com
