Actor Jang Ja-yeon died 17 years ago. However, the alleged "Jang Ja-yeon list" he left behind remains an unsolved mystery.
The late Jang Ja-yeon was found dead at her home in Bundang District, Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, on March 7, 2009. She was 30. She debuted in the entertainment industry in 2006 as an advertising model and later became known after appearing in the drama "Boys Over Flowers", but the sudden news left the public shocked and saddened.
In particular, documents left by the deceased contained claims that she was forced to provide sexual services to figures in politics, the press and broadcasting and suffered violence, which caused a major social backlash. When the so-called "Jang Ja-yeon list," bearing real names and seals, was made public, criticism poured in against the individuals named alongside mourning for the deceased's painful life.
The bereaved family sued those implicated based on the documents, but during the investigation only the former agency head and a manager were punished, while about 10 prominent figures mentioned were cleared of charges, effectively bringing the case to a close.
The case drew renewed public attention in 2018 when the special committee on past investigations of the prosecution announced it would review a reinvestigation. That year, the late actress's colleague Yoon Ji-oh drew attention by speaking to the media and identifying an alleged sexual assailant while continuing her testimony.
But Yoon Ji-oh later became embroiled in multiple controversies, including allegations of defamation and misuse of donation funds, and she left for Canada in April 2019, making it harder to establish the truth of the case.
In the end, the past investigations committee said in its May 2019 report that "the existence of the document is likely, but we could not verify the substance of the so-called hospitality list."
The death of the late Jang Ja-yeon and the allegations he left behind remain unresolved.
[Photo] OSEN DB
[OSEN]