Kim Dong Hee made an apology through his agency, NPIO Entertainment, following claims that he acknowledged to allegations of school bullying.

"Actor Kim Dong Hee, born in 1999, was a school violence perpetrator," an anonymous user wrote on an internet group in February. "I truly dislike watching him proudly having a job as a celebrity and gaining affection from people while his daily life consisted striking and bullying people," the writer of the online post wrote, adding testimony from people who graduated from the same school as evidence.

"Kim Dong Hee smoked within the classroom by hanging an E-cigarette around his neck or keeping it in the pocket of his school uniform," another netizen claimed. "He smacked the face of a fellow student who has a disability by playing games to their disadvantage, and he made pushovers massage him."

Kim Dong Hee's lawyer, Jang Hyun Woo, issued an official statement in December stating that the actor had been found not guilty of all claims of school violence.

Kim Dong Hee issued the following statement on January 13:

Hello, this is Kim Dong Hee.

I would like to tell you my position on the issue reported yesterday.

When I was in the fifth grade of elementary school, I got into an argument with my classmate in the classroom, and it eventually turned into a fight. [Afterward], I got punished by my teacher. When my mother heard the news, she scolded me a lot and took me to that classmate’s house where I apologized to him and his mother.

Later on, not only did we attend tutoring classes together, but I also ate dinner with him and his family. We spent a lot of time together without any problems, so I thought they had forgiven me.

I didn’t know that I was the only one who had thought that. I didn’t realize that they were still hurt by it.

After the post was uploaded last year, I wanted to apologize to my friend immediately, but I couldn’t muster up the courage because I was afraid that everything I didn’t do would be accepted as the truth and cause another misunderstanding. I wanted to correct what wasn’t true, and it has already been a year since then.

Due to my careless judgements and thoughts when I was little, I don’t think I deeply understood how he felt. I sincerely apologize for the pain I caused, and I want us to work things out.

Also, I deeply regret and apologize to those who were hurt by my immature words and actions when I was young.