The Uncanny Counter Actor Jo Byeong-Kyu Loses 4 Billion KRW School Bullying Lawsuit, Court Calls Witnesses 'Unreliable'

The Uncanny Counter actor Jo Byeong-Kyu aka Cho Byeong Kyu faced a major blow in his school bullying lawsuit. The 29-year-old, who is facing multiple school bullying allegations has reportedly lost a 4.00

billion KRW (about $2.80 million USD) case which he filed against one of his accusers after the court dismissed his argument.On November 1, Korean media reported that the 37th Civil Division of the Seoul Central District Court ruled against the actor and his former management agency, HB Entertainment, in their damages lawsuit against accuser 'A'. Jo had also filed a criminal defamation suit against A, which was dropped by the prosecutors.

Jo Byeong-Kyu's argument

Allkpop reported Jo's side claimed damages for emotional distress, stating, "A severely defamed Jo Byeong Kyu by making false accusations. Jo Byeong Kyu incurred damages from the termination of his advertisement contracts and the cancellation of his appearances in dramas, films, and movies totaling 4 billion KRW. On top of this, Jo Byeong Kyu also demands 200 million KRW in compensation."

About the bullying allegation

The case dates back to 2021 when accuser A posted on social media alleging that Jo bullied them when they were attending school together in New Zealand. A, who lives in New Zealand, failed to respond to the suit or submit a rebuttal. The civil trial was therefore conducted through a public notification service, and the court posted its documents publicly. Despite reviewing only Jo's side of the evidence, the court ruled against him. It stated that it was "difficult to conclude that A’s post was false."

Court's statement

The court also found statements from over 20 witnesses denying the bullying allegations "unreliable." It stated, "All statements were from people who have personal ties to Jo in Korea, and therefore, they do not verify events that allegedly occurred in New Zealand.""Even considering the inherent difficulty of proving that something did not occur, the evidence submitted is insufficient to establish that the events described in the post never happened," the court said.Jo has now appealed in the Seoul High Court, arguing that the lower court "misinterpreted the law."

Jo Byeong-Kyu's previous bullying case

This was the fourth case of school violence leveled against the actor. The previous three dated back to 2018. While two posters who claimed bullying deleted their posts, and the third one admitted to posting false information.