Hearts2Hearts’ Ian Defended by Classmates Amid School Violence Rumor, Netizens Doubtful

Previously on February 25, an alleged former classmate accused Hearts2Hearts’ Ian of being a school bully. According to this person, Ian threw a rock at another student and broke the school’s fish tank, while her mother pretended to be a victim. They also claimed that Ian, along with her friends, talked badly about and even sexually harassed some teachers, including the homeroom teacher.

As a result, related topics have since drawn significant attention on Korean forums, such as Pann Nate. In addition, another person claimed that the aforementioned allegations were true, even posting unreleased photos of Ian as “evidence”.

However, some stories about Ian from her former classmates have since re-emerged, painting a different picture. In particular, when Ian was first announced as a member of Hearts2Hearts, many people described the female idol as having a friendly personality despite her seemingly cold appearance. 

Meanwhile, another mentioned the fish tank incident, but clarified it was not one-sided bullying, but rather something that happened during a fight with other kids. According to this person, Ian was funny, confident, and had a “my way” personality, but she didn’t get along well with kids in the area, leading to conflicts. Ian was not a bully nor a bad person, the person also insisted, adding that stories about the female idol are being twisted with malicious intents. 

On the other hand, netizens who learn about the classmates’ anecdotes are forming doubts, especially as they recall the same situation that happened to aespa’s Karina following her debut announcement. At the time, Karina, who is also the “center” of her group, was also accused of bullying, but the rumors quickly died down. 

In fact, some people even went as far as to suspect this “school bullying allegation” situation to be a viral marketing strategy from SM Entertainment.