South Korean photographer Bae Bien-u has joined the long list of celebrities accused of sexual harassment in South Korea, as the #MeToo movement is constantly growing. Renowned as a professional photographer with themes especially concentrated on pine trees, he bears the reputation of capturing the characteristic sentiments of Korea including the pine trees, oceans and mountains with his camera rather than a brush.
However, his reputation has recently been severely tarnished. The Korea Herald reports that graduates of Seoul Institute of Arts, where he has been teaching photography, are ”lashing out at the photographer for sexually assaulting students both verbally and physical.”
“Teaching a class at his studio in November 2010, the professor came up to me from behind and grabbed my buttock,” says one of the accusers.
“Bae treated me as a waitress at a bar, touching my body and forcing me to pour drinks for him,” alleges another accuser.
An official from the Bae Bien-u Studio told a local newspaper that the photographer admitted his wrongdoing: “Bae, aware of all the facts, regrets his actions. An official apology is under discussion.”
Meanwhile, sexual assault and/or sexual harassment allegations have been made agains other high-profile actors, directors etc., including Jo Jae-hyun, Oh Dal-su, Kim Ki Duk, Jo Min Ki, Lee Yoon Taek, Lee Hyun Joo, and Cho Geun Hyun.
