The first trial of a Japanese woman indicted on charges of suddenly kissing BTS member Jin on the cheek did not open due to the defendant's absence. The hearing was set about 1 year and 2 months after the incident, but substantive proceedings did not take place.
On the 14th, Judge Lee Ji-min, sole criminal judge of the Seoul Eastern District Court Criminal Division 9, held the first court hearing for a Japanese woman in her 50s, identified as A, who was brought to trial on charges of forcible molestation.
However, because A did not appear in court, the trial was postponed immediately.
Judge Lee said, "The defendant submitted a written statement by mail, but I do not know exactly what it means," and added, "There is another date at 11 a.m. on the 16th, so I will postpone today."
A is accused of participating in a hugging event with 1,000 fans at Jamsil Indoor Stadium in Songpa-gu, Seoul, on June 13, 2024, the day after Jin completed military service, and kissing Jin on the cheek.
At the time, as images were released showing Jin looking embarrassed and flustered, A's behavior sparked a sexual harassment controversy. Afterward, an internet user reported A to police.
Police, working with Interpol, identified A. However, believing it would take considerable time to directly question A, who lived overseas, they suspended the investigation in March last year.
The investigation resumed after A entered Korea and voluntarily appeared before police. In May of the same year, police sent the case to prosecutors, and in November prosecutors indicted A on charges of forcible molestation.
For defendants of foreign nationality, it is known that the first trial date is set at an interval of about six months after indictment, considering appearance and service-of-process procedures.