Comedian Jung Cheol-gyu has stepped in to calm the situation after revealing that he had endured verbal abuse and harassment from a senior colleague for six years, prompting online speculation about the person's identity.
As names such as Ryu Dam, Noh Woo-jin, and Kim Jin-chul were mentioned, he drew a clear line, saying, "No," and asked people to stop making reckless guesses.
Jung Cheol-gyu recently appeared on the YouTube channel Namu Miki Heungsinso, where he said that during his days as a comedian, he was subjected to repeated verbal abuse from a senior colleague for about six years.
After his remarks became known, speculation flooded online about the identity of the senior comedian he had referred to. In particular, several names surfaced, especially among comedians who had worked together at KBS in the past.
In the end, Jung Cheol-gyu spoke out directly.
He left a comment on a social media video covering his remarks, saying, "Ryu Dam, Noh Woo-jin, and senior Kim Jin-chul are often mentioned, but to put it simply, it's not them."
He then explained his relationship with each of them. "Woo-jin is a junior colleague and a close friend. I have barely ever spoken with Ryu Dam. And senior Jin-chul never even scolded me, and we're still close," he said.
He also expressed concern that his past confession was turning into a hunt for the alleged abuser.
"If you watch the whole video, the focus is on how I went through that period in the past, overcame it, and am now living hard and happily. Thank you," Jung Cheol-gyu said. His message was interpreted as a request to focus on his present life after overcoming hardship rather than identifying the person who hurt him.
Earlier, Jung Cheol-gyu shocked viewers by revealing on Namu Miki Heungsinso that he had endured long-term verbal abuse from a senior colleague.
"That senior must have hated me," he said, claiming that every time the person came into the meeting room, he was told not to stand out and was even subjected to abusive remarks such as, "I'll kill you."
He added that it lasted "not six days, but six years," and said the pain was overwhelming.
Jung Cheol-gyu said he eventually asked the senior directly at a Gag Concert retreat what he had done wrong. He said he wanted to correct anything if he had made a mistake.
But the answer he received was unexpected. According to Jung Cheol-gyu, the senior said, "You didn't do anything wrong. I just don't like you, so get lost." Jung Cheol-gyu recalled thinking at the time, "There was no answer to this."
He also claimed that a colleague nearby tried to stop it. Jung Cheol-gyu said Joon Park, who was watching the situation, stepped in and told the senior to stop, asking, "Why are you doing this to Blanca?" but that the senior responded with profanity and made it clear he disliked Jung Cheol-gyu.
Jung Cheol-gyu said the prolonged harassment left him struggling psychologically as well.
As his doubts about his own worth grew, his self-esteem plummeted, and he said he could not sleep and eventually received treatment at a psychiatry clinic.
He explained that he gradually regained his self-esteem after starting to exercise and continuing new work as an instructor on multicultural issues.
Meanwhile, Jung Cheol-gyu became known in 2004 on KBS2's Boksoclub as Blanca, a Sri Lankan migrant worker character. At the time, he gained huge popularity with catchphrases such as "Boss, you're bad."
narusi@sportschosun.com
This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.
