Composer and broadcaster Yoo Jae-hwan was sentenced to a fine on charges of forcible molestation but appealed and will continue the legal battle.
On the 2nd according to legal sources, Judge Seo Young-woo of Criminal Division 12 at the Seoul Southern District Court on the 26th of last month sentenced Yoo Jae-hwan, who was indicted on charges of forcible molestation, to a fine of 5 million won and ordered him to complete 40 hours of a sexual violence treatment program.
Yoo Jae-hwan's forcible molestation allegations arose last year along with allegations of songwriting fraud. At that time, the accusers claimed that Yoo Jae-hwan approached aspiring singers saying he would compose songs for them for free, demanded money and then cut off contact, and they also alleged they suffered sexual assault and sexual harassment in the process, sparking shock.
The victims also appeared on SBS's Curious Story Y to disclose detailed accounts. As a result, in May of last year Yoo Jae-hwan apologized via social media, saying, "There is no excuse for this unfortunate incident, and I deeply reflect on and sincerely apologize for the disappointment I have caused you."
He emphasized, "Until today I have visited each person individually and told those who additionally wanted refunds the date of repayment. However, the amount is so large that I do not have the ability to repay everyone at once right now, so I ask for understanding for partitioning the repayments, and I will take responsibility and keep the dates I gave."
However, Yoo Jae-hwan denied the allegations of sexual assault and sexual harassment, saying, "It was absolutely not like that." He said, "I am truly very sorry and apologize for unintentionally causing misunderstandings and emotional hurt to some female acquaintances. Above all, I did not know because we had been in contact recently and were getting along while laughing," and he expressed his protestation of innocence, saying, "If a legal judgment is given, all the KakaoTalk messages exist, so I will submit them to the court."
In the end, he was sued on charges including receiving an advance payment of 55 million won from 23 people who commissioned songs and failing to provide the songs, as well as on charges of forcible molestation. Meanwhile, in January the Seoul Gangseo Police Station issued a decision of non-prosecution (no charges) for the fraud allegations due to insufficient evidence. However, he was found guilty on the forcible molestation charges.
In this regard, the victims filed an objection to the non-prosecution decision. The prosecution accepted it, and the police are conducting supplementary investigations.
However, according to YTN, Yoo Jae-hwan filed an appeal today (the 2nd) regarding the forcible molestation charge. It is expected that the related charges will also continue to be disputed in court.
[Photo] OSEN DB.
[OSEN]