Getting your five seconds of fame could also mean getting five seconds of public accusations — unsubstantiated or not. Recently eliminated Physical: 100 contestant Kim Da-young has been accused of being a bully back in middle school and terrorising younger schoolmates.
In a post shared on Nate Pann on Feb 14, a user wrote that a female Physical: 100 contestant used to extort money from them and their schoolmates during middle school using violence.
The user said they “lived in hell” for a year after meeting the bully, who was two years older.
“Due to the calls and texts that wouldn’t stop until I gave her money, even after high school, my heart would skip a beat whenever my phone rang, and I would be afraid to pick up.”
The netizen added that they went to the bully’s home to confront her, and eventually received an apology. However, revenge came swift.
“The next week, she and her friend waited for me after school. She told me she was sorry for taking my money and said we should go to a karaoke room.
(When we got there) I was forced to my knees, and she grabbed my hair and slapped my face. She then took my phone and told my friend to come out to the park late at night,” the netizen said.
“In the empty park, two of my friends were also hit in the same way as me. We were kicked in our stomachs and hit in the head while we were on our knees on the dirt floor.
We couldn’t run away because she had called her male friends, who said things like, ‘Strip them and make them get on their knees over the broken glass’.”
The netizen said what happened that day became a “scar that won’t go away for over 10 years”.
They continued: “After that day, I never saw the person again and didn’t know how she was living until I saw her face in an online cafe. When I saw she was being celebrated as an ‘awesome person’, my hands were shaking, and I couldn’t do anything.”
Since the post, other netizens have posted accounts claiming they were also bullied by the same Physical: 100 contestant.
Another person wrote: “This person’s friends all seem to be living well as if they did nothing wrong… Those who bring harm to other people will pay for their sins before they die. I will live my life remembering and cursing you guys for hitting me, stealing my money and making me massage your legs.”
Another alleged victim said that the bully’s parents went to their house to seek forgiveness.
These netizens didn’t name the bully and it is uncertain why Da-young, a professional stuntwoman who was praised for building a sturdy bridge in the sand-bagging challenge, was named as the perpetrator.
On Da-young’s latest Instagram post, a user left a comment on Feb 16 saying: “Da-young, from now on, you’re just being victimised. Just like you did to someone (us).
“Shall we call all the living witnesses you’ve been harassing together and talk about them? If you were a precious daughter to your parents, all the daughters you bullied would also be dear to you.
“Why did I have to run around avoiding you, hide so I wouldn’t run into you, go back the way I used to go, why do I have to tremble when I’m scared?”
Da-young hasn’t commented on the accusations and has switched off the comment function in her account.
PHOTO: Instagram/Kim Da-young
Some netizens were hesitant to point fingers at Da-young.
One user said that there was no proof identifying the bully to be Da-young and suspected the accusations to be ill-intentioned rumours: “I checked the articles talking about this and they all mentioned that a specific contestant wasn’t actually mentioned by those who claimed to be victims. They only referred to the perpetrator as ‘A’. I don’t know why yet, but Da-young was the first person people are pointing at and she likely turned off comments because of the harassment she was receiving.”
“She could easily post a statement saying her side (of the story) or refuting it. If she just turned off the comment function without addressing the issue, then that says something,” another netizen commented.
Netflix told Xports News they have contacted Da-young to check on the bullying allegations.