(Following Interview ①) Seo Min-jae (now Seo Eun-woo), who disclosed her pregnancy, spoke out for the first time since the controversy. He expressed his feelings while appealing about the legal pressure from the other party and the resulting mental anguish.
On the afternoon of 15th, at the O&N Law Office located in Seocho-dong, Seo Min-jae cautiously shared his thoughts on the conflict with Mr. A, the background of the statement announcement, and the responsibility regarding the child through an interview with OSEN.
Earlier, the news of Seo Min-jae's pregnancy was reported on the 2nd. At that time, Seo Min-jae revealed on his SNS the boyfriend's account, couple selfies, and an ultrasound photo, posting a message that said, 'Congratulations on becoming a dad.'
However, the post contained so much specific information about her boyfriend that it was difficult to see it as a simple pregnancy announcement. Internet users raised suspicions that she might have 'deliberately exposed' her boyfriend's personal information, as it mentioned his university and student ID, as well as the company he currently works for.
Afterward, Seo Min-jae revealed a text message saying that she could not get in touch with her boyfriend while disclosing the conflict. The message indicated that Seo Min-jae had gone to her boyfriend's house, stating, 'I'm at the APT. entrance, I'll wait for you,' and even revealed the name of the apartment she was residing in.
Amid the ongoing controversy, on the 4th, Seo Min-jae pleaded, 'Help me. The person who got me pregnant, OOO, has contacted me, saying he will file a stalking complaint. He said he would bring criminal charges. I have no money and no ability to hire a lawyer. All I want is to discuss how we can talk about the baby once it's born.'
On the same day, Seo Min-jae's boyfriend appointed a lawyer and began to formally announce his position. The legal representative for Mr. A, Roel Law Firm, stated in an official statement that 'Seo Eun-woo posted several photos directly revealing the face of Mr. Jung on her SNS on the 2nd, as well as Mr. A's personal information. Starting from the 3rd, it appears that after Mr. Jung learned of the pregnancy, he unilaterally ceased contact, alongside posts that included workplace and address information.'
'Mr. A has been communicating with Seo Eun-woo regularly since hearing about the pregnancy, discussing the future, and has informed his parents of everything truthfully. He has not evaded responsibility,' it was countered. Furthermore, Mr. A's side claimed that Seo Min-jae had repeatedly called him for dozens of times over remarks Mr. Jung never made since the 29th of last month, and on the 30th, he visited Mr. Jung's home and honked the horn for about five minutes until Mr. A came down.
Moreover, Mr. A stated, 'He confined me at his address, preventing me from going outside, and did not hesitate to resort to physical violence. Under these circumstances, Mr. A deemed legal action unavoidable and intends to hold Seo Eun-woo legally accountable.' He further added, 'There have been defamatory comments concerning Mr. A on the comments of Seo Eun-woo's SNS posts and various online platforms. We are reviewing separate responses to these and request that Seo Eun-woo cease illegal acts against Mr. Jung.'
In response, Seo Min-jae issued a statement requesting a conversation. He emphasized that Mr. A should take 'responsibility' as a father, stating, 'First of all, the emotional aspect is significant. He should at least ensure minimal support for a healthy delivery of the baby, and after the child is born, he should bear some economic responsibility for child-rearing. Although he said he didn't want to place the child in the family registry, saying he wouldn't register the child is contradictory to assuming legal responsibility.'
Seo Min-jae also argued, 'The request made through text was not for immediate financial support. It was about accompanying me to the hospital and confirming the child's condition. I hope my child would know about their dad later, so I wanted a means of communication to be established for that purpose.' He continued, 'I did not demand money, nor did I suggest marriage now... I believed in him, and that's why I decided to give birth to the child. When I made that decision, trust in him and the importance of the child were significant factors. In a way, I was betrayed by someone I trusted.'
Seo Min-jae expressed, 'It's painful, and I wanted to know if he would show even the bare minimum of decency or express sympathy. However, the only action taken was to file a complaint,' revealing his astonishment regarding the situation.
Seo Min-jae confessed that the most surprising aspect was A's sudden change in attitude. He lamented, 'He said he would respect my decision and take it seriously. When I said I would give birth, he assured me he would take responsibility and talk to his parents. Then suddenly, his attitude changed.'
Moreover, Seo Min-jae revealed that he did not have just casual meetings with Mr. Jung. He stated, 'He always told me he would marry me, and although there is a four-year age difference, we both told others we would marry. So, we got couple rings early, and while I previously might have spoken aggressively, reflecting on it now, I suppose it's the pregnancy hormones acting up. I was terrified of being abandoned, worrying about what would happen if I was left with the baby. I never intended to request help; I simply went to his house to initiate a conversation.' It was also confirmed that Seo Min-jae and Mr. A had discussed marriage and childbirth through KakaoTalk.
He particularly expressed that the comments made by the opposing attorney were quite shocking. 'The lawyer pressured me by saying, 'You could be punished for stalking, so be cautious, given that it's under probation.' I was very startled, and due to the stress, I even experienced bleeding and had to go to the hospital,' he said. He added that he is currently receiving ultrasound check-ups every week.
He remarked, 'Although Mr. A said he would take responsibility for the child, it was shocking that there was no consideration for the possibility of me, the child's mother, being detained.'
Seo Min-jae reflected on his feelings upon seeing Mr. A's statement, 'I was most upset. I thought I could defend myself, but while he might not offer me a heads-up, he could at least separate the discussions about the child. Instead, he put pressure on me, and due to stress, I experienced bleeding and went to the hospital for weekly ultrasounds.'
Seo Min-jae repeatedly stressed that he has no intention of attacking Mr. A's side and does not plan to escalate the matter into legal disputes. 'I just want to have a conversation because I have no way to contact him. I thought there would be communication afterward, but there hasn't been any. Honestly, it's difficult to be exposed like this. Yet, there is no way to talk. How desperate must I be to reach this point? I am also plagued by malicious comments, and this is the only way I feel I have left to communicate.'
He added, 'I didn't initially want to post everything on Instagram right away. I tried to persuade him through appeals, discussions with parents, and even visited him. Ultimately, I posted on Instagram because all I received in return was notification. Since there was no communication, I asked friends to contact him on my behalf due to the lack of response.'
Finally, when asked if there was anything he wanted to say to Mr. A, he paused for a moment before cautiously speaking up.
'After all, it's your own child, so regardless of personal matters, I hope you can think differently for the sake of the baby and engage in at least a minimal human dialogue. That's all. I have no intention of attacking or causing harm, and this was the only extreme measure I saw as best. I hope you understand that... The feelings of being victimized will be addressed through police investigations, and we will discuss the allegations later. But isn't this separate? Even for the child's sake, I want everything to be resolved amicably.'
[Photo] SNS
[OSEN]