Japanese Fan Who Attempted Kissing BTS’s Jin May Not Be Punished If She Leaves Korea?
On June 19th, suspicions that the fan who sexually harassed BTS’s Jin at a recent event was Japanese appeared in online communities. A user on X (formerly Twitter), said, “There is a high possibility that the woman who sexually harassed Jin is a Japanese blogger who has been insulting all members of BTS for months. She especially targeted V. This person wrote about what she did to Jin on her blog”. On the blog of the mentioned Japanese woman, there are posts such as “My lips touched his neck. His skin is very soft”, “He looked at me”, etc.
As the rumors of the problematic fan being a Japanese spread, some began to wonder if she would be punished because she’s a foreigner. In this regard, lawyer Kwak Joon-ho said to Tenasia, “Foreigners can also be punished. If the victim is Korean, the perpetrator can be punished under Korean law even if they are a foreigner”.
However, the issue happened 6 days ago, on June 13th, and it is highly likely that the Japanese fan has already left Korea. Lawyer Kwak explained, “In principle, we should take them to Korea for trials. However, it is not easy to summon them to Korea due to sexual harassment allegations. In fact, it is difficult to punish the person if they have already left Korea”.
Earlier on June 13th, Jin held a free hug event for 1000 fans at the 2024 FESTA. The event was prepared for fans who had waited for him during his military service period. However, some fans were spotted attempting sexual harassment such as unexpectedly kissing Jin. Frustrated by such misbehaviors, other fans filed a complaint with the police and the case is under investigation.
On the 18th, Songpa Police Station said to Tenasia, “The case of BTS’s Jin is currently in the pre-prosecution investigation stage”, adding “It is important to listen to the victim’s opinion, so we are contacting his agency”. Jin is a victim, not the perpetrator, so his stance will play a major role in the investigation. The police explained, “We need to listen to Jin’s opinion first before reviewing the case and making a judgment”.
