'Peak Time' contestant Kim Hyun-jae caught in school bullying allegations

As cast member Kim Hyun-jae of JTBC’s team idol survival show “Peak Time” faces allegations of school bullying, the producers of the show issued a statement Thursday saying that a “careful investigation” into the matter is taking place...

A scene from JTBC's team idol survival show ″Peak Time″ [SCREEN CAPTURE]

As cast member Kim Hyun-jae of JTBC’s team idol survival show “Peak Time” faces allegations of school bullying, the producers of the show issued a statement Thursday saying that a “careful investigation” into the matter is taking place.

Kim, a cast member of team C in “Peak Time,” a program that centers on teams in a competition tournament for already debuted or disbanded idols, was accused of having been a school bully on a popular online community site on March 6. The author of the post on the site claimed that Kim “gaslighted” the victim for an extended period and that they experienced anxiety and nausea from seeing Kim appear on television.

“We are taking due time to carefully investigate the facts of the allegation and clearly understand what happened,” said the producers of “Peak Time” in a press release Thursday. “If the allegations turn out to be true, we will take action on the program level. We would like to express our sincerest gratitude to our viewers who love and support our show, and we are regretful of the controversy surrounding these allegations.”

The producers of “Peak Time” clarified that the production team in no way condones school bullying or violence and that the delay in issuing a statement or taking further action is due to intentions to formally and faithfully investigate the matter.

Promotional image of the judges of ″Peak Time″ [JTBC]

A total of 23 teams compete on “Peak Time” for the top prize of 300 million won ($230,000), a full-length album and a chance to tour the world. The show boasts an all-star cast of judges: Jay Park, Tiffany Young of Girls’ Generation, Kyuhyun of Super Junior, Mino of Winner, Lee Gi-kwang of Highlight, Kim Sung-kyu of Infinite, Shim Jae-won from SM Entertainment and producer Ryan Jhun. Singer and actor Lee Seung-gi hosts the show.

“Peak Time” premiered on Feb. 15 and airs every Wednesday at 10:30 p.m. on JTBC.

BY LIM JEONG-WON [lim.jeongwon@joongang.co.kr]