Actors Ok Joo-hyun and Kim Ho-young [Herald Muse]
Actors Ok Joo-hyun and Kim Ho-young [Herald Muse]

Musical actor Ok Joo-hyun, a former member of the girl group Fin.K.L, has again spoken out about her anguish over the so-called "Ok-jangpan" allegations from four years ago, urging fellow actor Kim Ho-young to publicly explain himself.

In an interview published Tuesday, Ok said the "Ok-jangpan" label had caused her deep suffering. "I was tormented by that image and framing — one I should never have been saddled with. There was not a single moment I was OK," she said, adding that recent remarks she made on a fan communication platform were her way of "venting her heartbreak to fans."

She also said she had to watch a junior colleague — the actor drawn into the casting controversy — suffer. "She was cast on merit, but received no congratulations and spent her days in tears," Ok said.

Ok said the fallout had affected every production she joined over the past four years. "Every time I entered a new production, I ended up causing trouble for the production company. I didn't want my controversies to overshadow the work, so I've gone as far as deciding not to appear in a production — for everyone's sake," she said, confirming she had withdrawn from a show set to open next month.

Turning to Kim, whom she holds responsible for attaching the "Ok-jangpan" label to her, Ok said he had been in the musical theater world longer than she had and was someone who genuinely loved the art form. "As the person who set off this commotion, I think he needs to come forward at least once — whether it's an excuse or the truth — and give a proper explanation," she urged.

The "Ok-jangpan" controversy dates to 2022, when allegations emerged that Ok had used her influence to have a close acquaintance cast in the musical "Elisabeth." Ok and the production company denied the claims at the time. Kim then drew scrutiny after posting on social media that "the old expression 'asari-pan' is outdated — now it's 'Ok-jangpan,'" a remark widely seen as a dig at Ok. Ok filed a complaint against Kim, but her agency later announced she had withdrawn it after the two resolved the matter through conversation.

Ok recently revisited the episode on a fan communication platform, claiming she had never received an apology. "What I heard from Kim Ho-young, along with his thanks for dropping the complaint, was: 'I never once targeted you, unni. That Ok-jangpan post was just promoting a friend's father's flooring business,'" she said.

Ok said a diet probiotic advertisement she had appeared in was pulled just five days after the controversy broke. "If I couldn't prove my innocence, I would have had to pay triple the penalty fee. Having no choice but to resort to filing a complaint was what hurt me most," she said. She added that while she dropped the complaint and avoided the penalty, the advertising company itself lost money on the product.

Ok said she had spent years feeling stifled by the situation — every news headline seemed to lead with the "Ok-jangpan" tag — and had thought hundreds of times about addressing it formally on her own channel, only to be talked out of it each time by those closest to her.

She added that the one thing she most regretted about the whole affair was dropping the complaint. "The advertising company suffered serious damage, and over all this time my nickname has gone from 'Ok-cream' and 'Ok-susu' to 'Ok-jangpan.' It's heartbreaking," she said.


paq@heraldcorp.com