My Ugly Duckling star Kim Gun Mo will no longer be appearing on the variety show after he was accused of sexual assault and physical assault by two individuals. The first victim is currently under police protection after she filed her formal complaint against the celebrity.
According to a report by Soompi, SBS announced that Kim Gun Mo and his mother, Lee Sun Mi, will no longer be part of My Ugly Duckling. The station clarified the pair were not considered regular cast members as they did not appear on a weekly basis.
It can be recalled that Kim Gun Mo recently came under fire after a woman who worked in an entertainment bar in 2016 claimed that she was raped by the singer. She came forward through a live stream interview by the Garo Sero Institute and recounted her ordeal, All Kpop reported.
According to the victim, who was identified only as A, she did not go public immediately because she felt like she was not in a position to do so. She added that she was very young and still hoped to find someone, without the stigma of being tagged as a victim.
However, after seeing Kim Gun Mo on My Ugly Duckling wearing the same Batman shirt he wore when he allegedly assaulted her, she decided to end her anguish and go public. She said that she never asked for money, but only a sincere apology and a guarantee that he will no longer appear on television.
A second victim also surfaced and claimed that she was physically assaulted by Kim Gun Mo while he was fighting at a bar with his girlfriend in 2007. The victim was working as a manager of an adult entertainment bar at the time and claimed that Kim Gun Mo attacked her with his fists, hitting her face and stomach. She said she tried to file a police report then but she was prevented by the singer and the business owner.
"I gathered the courage to come forward after hearing the story of the first victim who experienced sexual assault at the hands of Kim Gun Mo. I don't know who she is, but I want to stand by her side. I don't want Kim Gun Mo to appear on TV anymore," she said in a separate interview by Garo Sero.
Kim Gun Mo has since denied the allegations and threatened to file counter charges against his accusers.
