The controversy emerged against the backdrop of South Korea's national "school bullying boom" of early 2021. What began within the professional volleyball circuit quickly migrated to the pop industry, where online message boards flooded with allegations targeting actors, soloists, and idol group members. An anonymous netizen published an account claiming that during middle school, Hyunjin engaged in abrasive verbal altercations, using harsh language that caused emotional distress within their shared peer group.
South Korean celebrity controversies surrounding middle school conduct carry immense legal, commercial, and moral weight. In a society where intense academic pressure coexists with strict social hierarchies, past school violence, known domestically as hakpok, is viewed by the domestic public as a fundamental character flaw rather than youthful indiscretion. Within hours of the initial posts, corporate sponsors began masking Hyunjin's face in commercial campaigns, and television networks faced petitions demanding his removal from upcoming broadcasts.
The timing was disastrous for Stray Kids. The group was actively rehearsing for Kingdom: Legendary War, a career-defining competition designed to determine the top male performance act in the industry. Losing their central performance anchor threatened both the group's staging capabilities and their public standing in South Korea.
