Ok Joo-hyun renews public demand for Kim Ho-young to prove 'Ok-jangpan' claim

Singer and musical actor Ok Joo-hyun has revisited the so-called "Ok-jangpan" controversy, again calling for Kim Ho-young to explain himself.

On Friday, Ok posted on a fan communication platform: "I'm waiting. The time has come for him to either prove that his friend bought flooring through a group purchase — the 'Ok-jangpan' claim — or to do something with his mouth or his hands."

She went on to say that a junior actor who had passed an audition and joined the production for its 10th anniversary "went through an emotionally overwhelming experience," and that the production company, which had built a 10-year legacy, was left bearing the burden of defamation and the disgrace that followed. "This karma runs too deep to simply let pass," she wrote.

Ok had first raised the issue publicly on July 8, writing on social media that the "Ok-jangpan" label — coined from a single person's words — had become a nickname attached to her name, and that she had spent a long time enduring the allegations, ridicule and criticism it generated.

She then directed a question at Kim: "If those words were truly not aimed at me, I want to ask why so many people thought of me — and why the harm and hurt that resulted have never once been explained publicly."

The dispute traces back to the casting process for the musical Elisabeth in 2022. Amid allegations that Ok had interfered in casting decisions, Kim posted on social media: "The old term is 'asari-pan.' Now it's 'Ok-jangpan'" — a remark widely interpreted as a dig at Ok. ("Jangpan" refers to a flooring business; "asari-pan" is a Korean expression for a chaotic free-for-all.)

Ok and EMK Musical Company, the producer of Elisabeth, flatly denied the casting interference allegations. Ok then filed a complaint against Kim on defamation charges.

Park Kal-lin, Choi Jeong-won and Nam Gyeong-ju — all regarded as first-generation musical actors — issued a joint statement saying actors "must focus solely on their craft of performance and must not encroach on the production company's exclusive authority over casting and similar decisions."

As the controversy grew, Kim explained that the post had not been aimed at Ok but was intended to promote his father's flooring business. The two sides later resolved their legal dispute, and Ok withdrew her complaint.

Meanwhile, Kim has not issued any separate statement in response to Ok's recent remarks.