Jeong Hee-won, known as an expert on "slow aging," is said to have belatedly sent a text message containing an apology and coaxing to a woman identified as A, whom Jeong reported to police on suspicion of stalking, stirring controversy.
Hyesuk, the law firm representing A, on the 26th abruptly disclosed the text message that Jeong sent to A on the 19th. According to the released message, Jeong pleaded, "Please save me," and "Couldn't we, slow aging, and you rise again?" and specifically said Jeong "really regrets" what happened on Oct. 20, the day the stalking report was filed.
Hyesuk said that before sending the text, Jeong called A's father and poured out criticism for about 10 minutes, then continued attempting to contact A via KakaoTalk and phone despite a request to refrain from direct contact. The representatives argued that these actions were a hasty attempt to placate A to block media reports and, in themselves, constituted another act of stalking.
There was also a rebuttal regarding the employment relationship between the two sides. Jeong referred to A as a "research colleague," but the actual employment contract shows A handled Jeong's personal external activities, not research assistance. Citing this, Hyesuk said the two were not equals but were clearly in a hierarchical relationship.
On the essence of the case, Hyesuk characterized it as sexual and personal exploitation through power based on an employment relationship, beyond copyright infringement. In particular, citing Jeong's request that A act out a sadistic female persona, the firm emphasized it as a typical structure in which a powerholder forces an employee to play a specific role to satisfy the powerholder's sexual preferences.