It has been confirmed that not one or two students have been sexually assaulted by 'A,' a department head of a popular arts high school who took his own life when he was identified as the perpetrator of multiple sex crimes last month. The assault went on for at least a decade, with at least five female student victims confirmed so far.

The school is famous for having produced top idol members, such as members of BTS, TWICE, NCT Dream, and ITZY. The most popular idol-turned-actor among the current generation is also an alumnus. As a result, the school became famous enough to be called an 'Idol Academy.'

'B,' a musical actress who graduated from the school, was sexually harassed at 'A's house at the age of 18 while still a student. 'B' took private lessons until dawn at 'A's practice room near the school, then went to 'A's residence, where she claimed 'A' gave her alcohol and made physical contact with her, such as kissing.

"My mom also had a lot of face-to-face counseling with my teacher and trusted him a lot. On that day, the teacher contacted my mom and asked for her permission so that I could rest comfortably ahead of my performance. But he gave me some sweet foreign alcohol at home and suddenly kissed me on the lips, saying, 'I think you're a woman, not a student.' I tried to say, 'What are you doing?' but he came closer and made physical contact. I was so scared and surprised that I shouted, 'This isn't something a human would do,' and ran away to the guest room and cried all night," 'B' described.

The next day, 'A' did not mention or apologize for the incident, and 'B' was eventually diagnosed with panic disorder because the shock she felt due to her incident with 'A,' whom she trusted, was so great. 'B' said, "'A' was in the position to make casting decisions for different projects. I had no choice but to endure things for graduation and college entrance exams. I felt like the kind of helpless victim you see in movies."

Another victim, former student 'C,' was summoned to Japan, where they also suffered sexual violence. 'C' hurriedly headed to Japan after receiving a request from 'A' to help prepare for a performance in Okinawa back in 2019. However, while they had been told several others were also asked to come, there were only two people in their overseas lodging – 'C' and 'A.'

"'A' asked me to have a drink over dinner, and he said, 'I came to Okinawa not for work, but for a trip, but I was bored, so I called you.' At first, I was shocked. It was very scary because the accommodation was far from the city. I just thought I had to somehow find a way to live on my own," 'C' recalled. "Two days later, when I returned to Korea, I received a long KakaoTalk message from 'A,' which read, 'I called because I thought about you so much. Don't think too much. I'll let you audition.'"

'C' continued, "'A' said a lot during school days, like, 'If I were your age, I would have married you.' Every time I asked questions about his wife and family, he didn't want to mention anything about his family. I heard that there are many more victims than me among alumni and current students. I wanted to let people know that silence is not the answer."

The victim students who came forward to speak to the press unanimously described him as someone "like the leader of a cult." He often said phrases like "It’s okay," "Great, great, you're doing well" and was seen as a reliable teacher. He was also good at helping students get into college, and male students often referred to him as 'Captain.'

However, female students who were sexually 'filmed' by him were different. 'A' made the female students he liked to hug and kiss him on the cheek in lieu of more platonic greetings. He did not hesitate to say "I love you" when he was alone with female students and also made body-evaluating remarks related to their chests, legs, and waistline, such as, "You don’t have a thin waist, but you have wide hips, so it’s okay."

Teenage students who were victimized by 'A' are in a state of great shock over his recent suicide. Victim 'D' confessed, "Last year, during lessons in 'A’s practice room, we made some physical contact. After that, we started dating naturally, but after a few months, he said, 'Let’s stop dating’ and informed her of the breakup." Another victim 'E' confessed, "I'm still a student [there], so I'm afraid." Students who graduate from this school usually have public-facing jobs in entertainment where their faces are known. Therefore, both current students and also graduates may be extremely reluctant to come forward.

'A's assault history became public knowledge when a student who has been sexually assaulted by him confided the fact to the school. As the investigation became more serious, 'A' took his own life, and the school notified the students that the teacher had died of a heart attack. Due to 'A's death, the case was closed with no right to prosecute, while the victim was still unable to attend school.

'F,' another victim who graduated from the school, told the press, "After 'A's death, I saw the news about the damage he caused to a current student who was dating him. I remembered the continuous gaslighting I suffered from 'A' for three years. It was so disgusting and dirty that I didn't eat anything but would just vomit it all up. [...] Using your position or authority to hurt young students should never happen again."

'G,' an anonymous student who currently attends the school, also said, "Even though it's a really serious problem, the atmosphere around it is idling. The perpetrator died, so the victim will probably feel very disappointed and hopeless. I wanted to help somehow, so I agreed to this interview. I heard that there are at least 3 or 4 victims per grade. This is the school I wanted to come to so much, and I believe that uncovering the truth is to protect its honor."

Meanwhile, Sports Kyounghyang, the Korean media outlet that broke the story, contacted the high school for a statement. A representative for the school has said that they have since taken immediate measures, including releasing an official statement to students and students' parents and starting gender awareness education for students and faculty. "It was not possible for us to manage the personal affairs of teachers and students outside of school," they added.

Sports Kyounghyang also attempted to contact 'A's family several times for comment. However, they have still yet to receive a response.