Musical actor Han Ji-sang spoke out directly about sexual harassment allegations that surfaced six years ago.
On the 13th, a video titled '안녕하세요 한지상입니다' was posted on the YouTube channel 'Han Ji-sang'. The video showed Han Ji-sang directly explaining the sexual harassment allegations raised in 2020 and the recent controversy over the cancellation of his instructor appointment at Sungkyunkwan University.
That day Han Ji-sang opened by saying, "First, I apologize for causing concern because of my situation. I want to clearly address the parts where confusion continues due to various distorted falsehoods related to me,". He then listed the points he wanted to explain: how he met Ms. A, when sexual harassment was first mentioned, the allegation that he induced monetary demands, the background of the 300 million won compensation demand, why the incident was not made public, why he filed a complaint, why he was cleared, and why he did not sue for defamation.
Han Ji-sang explained that his first meeting with Ms. A felt like a "man-woman introduction" rather than a fan-actor relationship. He said that in 2017, during a production, a senior who was performing with him passed along a request to introduce a woman through his direct message, and after the production ended and he had free time, they began contacting each other. They later chatted online and then met in person, and as they shared values, hobbies and likes, they gradually developed feelings for each other.
He explained, "Honestly, in that atmosphere we expressed mutual attraction and there was physical affection. But it wasn't one-sided; it progressed as a mutual expression of interest." In a released transcript of Ms. A's recording, there was also the line, "The actions at that time were like that. I was drinking and I had feelings for the actor too, and the mood became like that. We expressed ourselves to each other."
However, after three meetings Han Ji-sang decided it would be difficult to continue a romantic relationship. He cited personality and value differences and said he clearly expressed during the fourth meeting that he could not continue the relationship. The two did not meet again, but he claimed that on Sept. 10, 2019, Ms. A suddenly contacted him.
Recalling that time, Han Ji-sang said, "There were an enormous number and volume of messages. The way she addressed me had changed. What I felt was intimidation." He added, "It was described as if it were a one-sided sexual assault. I was so flustered that, as an actor, I was afraid. I couldn't accept it." He said he initially thought he should calm the situation without informing his family or agency and continued to apologize and converse.
Han Ji-sang directly addressed the allegation that he induced a monetary demand. He said, "Honestly, neither of us wanted that first," and explained, "Because we wanted to end the conversation somehow, we looked for a practical way, and mention of money or material came up for the first time that way." He asserted, "If my asking, 'If you need anything else, say so,' was the trigger, then maybe it was. But the word about material compensation was mentioned by the other party as an answer to that."
Han Ji-sang said the reason he mentioned monetary compensation was, "there was also a purpose for some healing costs." Because Ms. A mentioned hospitalization and medication treatment, he said he asked whether he could compensate for parts needed for treatment and healing along with an apology. However, he said the conditions Ms. A later proposed were at a level that was difficult to accept reasonably.
He said, "When we couldn't find common ground, I asked, then tell me. What do you really want? What is the compensation?" In that process, he said Ms. A proposed two conditions: "1: 500 million to 1 billion won" and "2: a one-year public relationship." Han Ji-sang said, "The standards the other party wanted were ridiculously different."
The released transcript included Ms. A saying, "You didn't sexually assault me. It wasn't one-sided. At that moment I liked it. I liked it, and if I tried to do anything legally because of this, you couldn't do anything." Another recording included the remark, "It wasn't something huge. He didn't hit me, and it wasn't done by force. The actor is not at fault."
Han Ji-sang said the situation dragged on even after hearing such remarks. He said, "Why is this being dragged out now? I said it's because greed arose within her," and questioned the demand for a "one-year public relationship," asking, "If it wasn't sexual assault and a woman is trying to portray it as sexual assault with intimidation, how could there be any relationship in that situation?"
He also explained why Ms. A came to demand 300 million won. Han Ji-sang said that when he kept asking why, Ms. A recounted that when she broke up with a past boyfriend she had paid off more than 100 million won of debt as an expression of apology. She then implied that for him the standard should be about 300 million won. In the released transcript Ms. A said, "I think my standard was a bit high. If I really hurt someone so much and I have to make it right with money, how far could I go? So that was my standard."
Han Ji-sang emphasized that he never proposed or agreed to 300 million won. He said, "I never suggested or even thought of the amount of 300 million. I kept saying it was unfair but was ignored." However, he said he was afraid that if he didn't pay 300 million won the exposure would happen, so he could not refuse strongly and eventually informed his family, agency and acquaintances.
He explained that he did not make the incident public because he was afraid of Ms. A's words, "If it's resolved through an agent, it will leak outside and then the actor will pay the price,". He said his agency advised, "Agents should talk and the actor should stay still," and from then on he stopped direct contact with Ms. A.
Regarding why he filed a complaint against Ms. A, Han Ji-sang said, "There was truly one purpose. I really wanted to live." He said at first he did not want to sue because he feared a second wave, but while preparing to return to work he received a message from Ms. A saying, "Now it's my turn," and then explicit exposés began to be posted. Han Ji-sang called this "obviously retaliatory," and said it led to his withdrawal from a production.
He continued to explain why the extortion attempt and coercion charges against Ms. A ended with no indictment. He said, "Two things could not be proven. That it was not a threat severe enough to cause harm," and claimed prosecutors comprehensively considered the special nature of the romantic relationship and the degree of harm in the musical industry. He added, "I lost my professional livelihood, and if many of the harms I suffered had been applied when I actually filed the complaint, the result would have been different, but we could not prove them, so it ended with insufficiency and no indictment."
As for why he did not sue Ms. A for defamation, Han Ji-sang said it was because he received a text from Ms. A saying, "I'm sorry to the actor who suffered more than me. Now please heal your heart and return to the stage. I will take down all the posts." Instead, he said he is responding to malicious commenters who portrayed him as a sex offender with charges of defamation and obstruction of business.
Relatedly, he said, "Malicious commenters depicted me as a criminal. Whether I am a criminal or not is something the prosecutors must determine," and he released the indictment that states, "The complainant Han Ji-sang is not someone who committed a sex crime or was punished for a sex crime." He continued to assert, "All those who posted that he was a criminal are highly likely to be proven guilty of false statement of fact in defamation."
Near the end of the video Han Ji-sang reiterated, "Again, regarding my romantic relationship and private life from eight years ago, I absolutely did not commit a crime. And in that private life I never acted unethically." He added, "There will be a judicial determination on the defamation and obstruction of business charges against these malicious commenters, so I ask you once again to consider that."
Meanwhile, in early 2020 Han Ji-sang was accused of sexually harassing a female fan, Ms. A, and his side denied it and sued Ms. A for attempted extortion and coercion. However, prosecutors decided not to indict Ms. A. At the time Han Ji-sang's side said, "There was no act of sexual molestation against the other party's will, and this was confirmed in the police investigation."
But recently the appointment of an instructor for voice classes in the department of acting and arts at Sungkyunkwan University for the first semester of the 2026 academic year was canceled, bringing the controversy back to the surface. The department said it decided to replace the instructor considering the posted notices controversy and students' raised concerns. The faculty added, "Although it was mentioned during the appointment review process that there was no forcible assault at the time, which has been proven several times recently by judicial institutions and stated in the indictment, and considering the prolonged harm the actor has suffered due to the public backlash, we decided accordingly," while also saying, "If even one student does not feel safe in the school's educational environment, we will work to improve the problem."
[Photo] YouTube capture / OSEN DB
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