Ok Joo-hyun says she regrets dropping lawsuit against Kim Ho-young over 'Ok-jangpan' incident

Musical actor Ok Joo-hyun said she never received an apology from actor Kim Ho-young over the "Ok-jangpan" incident four years ago.

Ok made the remarks Saturday while communicating with fans on a fan platform.

"I have never received an apology," she wrote, adding that what she did hear from Kim was a thank-you for dropping the lawsuit, along with the claim: "I never once targeted you. The 'Ok-jangpan' post was just to promote a friend's father's flooring business."

Ok said the controversy had real consequences for her. "Because of the Ok-jangpan incident, a diet probiotic advertisement I had filmed was pulled after just five days on air. If I couldn't prove my innocence, I would have had to pay triple the penalty fee. It pained me most that filing a lawsuit was the only way I could do that," she wrote. She added that while she ultimately dropped the suit and avoided the penalty, the advertising company still suffered significant financial losses.

Ok said the episode had weighed on her for years. "For a long time, every article about me came with 'Ok-jangpan' attached to the headline as a label. I thought hundreds of times about addressing it officially on my own channel, and talked it over with people close to me — but those who care about me most talked me out of it," she said.

She went on to say that her biggest regret from the whole affair was dropping the lawsuit. "The advertising company suffered serious damage, and my nickname, which had gone from 'Ok-cream' and 'Ok-corn' to 'Ok-jangpan,' makes me sad," she wrote.

Ok was embroiled in controversy in 2022 over the casting of the musical "Elisabeth," when allegations arose about the fairness of the process after an actor with ties to her was cast in the production.

Amid the dispute, musical actor Kim Ho-young posted on social media a photo of vinyl flooring alongside an illustration of a performance venue, with the caption: "The old saying was 'asari-pan' — now it's 'Ok-jangpan.'" Kim did not clarify the intent behind the post, but it was widely interpreted as a dig at Ok.

Ok denied any involvement in the casting. "I had no part in the casting process whatsoever. I hope the actors who earned their roles through auditions are not demeaned," she said. EMK Company, the producer of "Elisabeth," also drew a line, stating that Ok had "absolutely no involvement" in the casting decisions.

Kim's agency subsequently said the two had spoken by phone and cleared up the misunderstanding, describing the matter as having been "resolved amicably between both parties."

Ok had filed a lawsuit against Kim but later withdrew it.