Singer Tei clarified his earlier comment expressing condolences regarding the death of former People Power Party member Jang Je-won, who died while under investigation for sexual assault allegations.

On Feb. 2, Tei said during the opening of the MBC FM4U 'Good Morning FM Tei' that "Actually, I just wanted to go back to my daily life, but there was something I said yesterday that ended up in the news. I was so scared." He continued, "I feel like I need to talk about it. Everyone is supporting me, and I'm concerned about what the directors, the Director General, and the writers might think, worrying that more articles would come out. I thought we might just pass it quietly, but it seems I need to say something."

Tei stated, "Actually, whether as a victim or a perpetrator, I didn't speak out of sympathy for someone’s death. On that day, we were about to hear a statement from one side for the truth, and it was unfortunate that it ended that way."

He explained, "There were worse, harsh, and emotional words inside, but I tried to express it without saying them, and it came out that way. I didn't feel sorry for that person's death. I felt sorry for the situation that arose because of it, which is why I spoke that way."

Tei faced significant criticism for his remarks; he said, "There are people who are angry at me today because of it, and I completely understand. Seeing only the articles, one could be upset. I want to say that was not my intention at all."

He also mentioned, "Some listeners sent me DMs saying they were listening well, and I replied that it was not meant that way," expressing gratitude to listeners: "Thank you for believing in me. Thank you for comforting my heart."

On the 1st, Tei delivered major news updates during the daily segment 'Today's Keyword News' on 'Good Morning FM.' During the segment, the news about the death of former People Power Party member Jang Je-won was mentioned, and Tei added, "It's unfortunate" as his personal opinion.

Some listeners pointed out Tei's remarks. Regarding his statement of "It's unfortunate," some listeners reacted by saying, "It seems he misspoke," "What’s unfortunate?" "Speak properly," and "This is something to be angry about," criticizing Tei. Ultimately, Tei clarified that he did not express sadness over former member Jang Je-won’s death, and the controversy was temporarily settled.

Meanwhile, former member Jang Je-won was under police investigation for allegedly sexually assaulting his secretary, A, while serving as the vice president of a university in Busan in 2015. A accused him of assaulting her after drinking at a post-event gathering, while Jang denied all allegations. In response, A's side claimed they submitted evidence, including video footage, to the police to substantiate the sexual assault allegations and had planned to hold a press conference on the 1st at 10 a.m. to explain the charges.

However, according to the police, former member Jang Je-won was found dead in an officetel in Gangdong-gu, Seoul, at 11:40 p.m. the previous day. The police determined there were no clear signs of criminal wrongdoing, and a letter addressed to his family was reportedly found at the scene.

With the individual's death, the police investigation into the sexual assault allegations is expected to conclude as 'no prosecution.' Accordingly, A's side also canceled the scheduled press conference.

[Photo] OSEN DB

[OSEN]