Former I.O.I member and actress Kim So Hye returned to the small screen, appearing as a passionate hotel intern in the new drama 'The Practical Guide to Love,' drawing attention three years after being embroiled in a school bullying controversy.
The JTBC weekend drama premiered on February 28 and stars Han Ji Min and Park Sung Hoon in leading roles. The series follows a woman determined to find love who goes on a blind date and meets two men with very different charms. As she becomes attracted to both, she is torn between them while ultimately searching for the true meaning of love.
In the drama, Kim plays Shim Sae Byeok, an intern in the purchasing team at The Hills Hotel, showcasing a fresh and youthful charm. Kim first gained public attention after appearing on the 2016 survival program 'Produce 101 Season 1,' which aired on Mnet. She later debuted as a member of the project girl group I.O.I. After the group disbanded, she shifted her focus to acting and has been steadily building her acting career.
However, in February 2021, Kim became embroiled in allegations of school bullying. At the time, her agency released an official statement saying it had filed a complaint and requested a police investigation regarding posts circulating in online communities.
According to the agency, police identified the original poster of the rumors, and the suspect later admitted during questioning that the posts and comments were fabricated. The investigation reportedly revealed that the individual claiming to have been directly bullied was actually one of the perpetrators involved in a school violence incident in which Kim had been the victim during middle school. The suspect acknowledged wrongdoing, stating the rumors were written out of jealousy during youth and submitted a handwritten letter of apology to the authorities.
The agency also clarified that during Kim’s first year of middle school, there had been a dispute caused by a misunderstanding with a student from another school, identified as B. The issue was addressed through a school violence committee at the time, after which Kim met the student in person, apologized, and resolved the misunderstanding through conversation. The agency expressed regret that the student, who was not the original poster of the allegations, had been mentioned and inconvenienced by the controversy.
Following the statement, an individual who claimed to have posted allegations about school violence wrote on an online forum that their case had been dismissed by police without charges. The person said they had been sued for defamation involving false information by Kim’s side and claimed they were offered a withdrawal of the complaint if the post was deleted, but no agreement was reached.
After addressing the controversy, Kim returned to television in 2023 with the KBS2 drama 'My Lovely Boxer.' She continued her acting career with appearances in the 2024 tvN drama 'Our Beautiful Summer' and is currently appearing in 'The Practical Guide to Love.'
The drama airs every Saturday at 10:40 p.m. and Sunday at 10:30 p.m. on JTBC.
SEE ALSO: Han Ji Min highlights honesty as the key charm of her character in ‘The Practical Guide to Love’
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