Themovement is bringing shocking revelations in the Korean entertainment industry.
The movement started with a netizen's accusations on Jo Min Ki. The woman claimed the 52-year-old actor, who was also a professor at Cheongju University, used his authority to sexually harass students; inviting them to his house, offering drinks, and even requesting a student to live with him. His inappropriate sexual activities ultimately got him suspended from the institute. His agency denied the accusation, however, more and more victims continue to rise to the surface. Currently, Jo Min Ki has deactivated his social media accounts and canceled all of his schedules.
In midst of Jo Min Ki's controversy, another netizen revealed that famous comedic actor with the last name Oh is also a sexual harasser. The netizen stated, "In the 90s at Busan theater, he was a play-actor that constantly harassed young hoobaes. Currently, he's a famous comedic supporting actor. To me, he's a pervert, the devil, and a psychopath. I have been receiving mental treatment for the past 20 years due to the shock of the disgusting incident. I hope he gets punished."
Based on the clues provided in the shocking post, Oh Dal Soo, who has starred in numerous hit films including 'Along With the Gods: The Two Worlds', 'The Thieves', 'Ode To My Father', 'The Attorney', 'Miracle in Cell No. 7', and more, was rumored to be the sexual harasser. He has not provided any official statements on the issue yet. Meanwhile, on February 23, it was announced that Oh Dal Soo and actress Chae Kook Hee have broken up.
SEE ALSO: A contestant from 'School Rapper 2' attracts attention from netizens for his swear-free rap
Following Oh Dal Soo, accusations arose against famous actor ''. An alleged victim claimed 'J' forcefully kissed a staff member and touched her breast. When the news made headlines, actressshared a photo ofon her Instagram and revealed,
In an interview with JTBC, an alleged victim revealed Jo Jae Hyun would come to her from behind and put his hand underneath her clothes, and later, gave her money, saying to forget everything.
In response to the accusations, his agency stated they're currently checking with the actor and will make an official statement after discussion. Meanwhile, his daughter Jo Hae Jung, also an actress who has starred in the drama 'Weightlifting Fairy Kim Book Joo', has disabled comments on her Instagram.
#MeToo has also pointed several directors as sexual harassers. Many hope the movement will make a change to the industry and can ultimately help in shutting down the disgusting acts.
Jakarta, CNN Indonesia -- Aktor senior berinisial 'J' dituduh melakukan pelecehan seksual terhadap seorang staf perempuan di lokasi syuting. Spekulasi publik mengarah ke nama aktor veteran Cho Jae Hyun setelah aktris Choi Yul mengunggah profil sang bintang di akun media sosialnya.Beberapa hari belakangan, industri hiburan Korea Selatan tengah menjadi bagian penyebaran gerakan #MeToo di mana para korban mengungkap tindakan pelecehan seksual yang dialaminya.Choi Yul pun mengambil bagian dengan menyuarakan informasi terkait Cho Jae Hyun. Pada Jumat (23/2), melansir Hankyung Kyeongje via Naver , Choi Yul mengunggah sebuah tangkapan layar profil Cho Jae Hyun ke akun Instagram pribadinya."Saya menunggu agar kau terciduk. Ternyata itu terjadi lebih cepat dari dugaan saya. Ini hanyalah sebuah permulaan. Masih lebih banyak [orang] bejat di luar sana. Saya tidak bisa berkata lebih banyak karena saya bisa kehilangan banyak hal, tapi hingga saat itu tiba semua orang vabul akan hilang, #metoo #withyou," tulis Choi Yul di keterangan profil Cho Jae Hyun itu.Unggahan itu kemudian dihapus, namun seorang sumber dari agensi Cho Jae Hyun menyatakan bahwa mereka tengah mengonfirmasi kepada sang aktor untuk mencari tahu apakah klaim tersebut benar.Sebelumnya, Xportsnews melaporkan bahwa aktor populer berinisial J diklaim telah melakukan pelecehan seksual kepada staf berusia 20an tahun di lokasi syuting acara televisi pada 2013. Dia disebut sebagai aktor kondang yang kerap menjadi pemeran utama dan produser.Menurut laporan itu, J memanggil staf itu agar terpisah dengan staf lainnya, kemudian mencium bibir dan menyentuh dada serta pahanya secara paksa. J pun diklaim kerap menelepon staf itu secara pribadi.Pada Kamis (22/2), agensi aktor J merespons dan menyatakan, "Laporan bahwa dia [aktor J] telah melakukan pelecehan seksual kepada seorang staf perempuan adalah tak berdasar."Cho Jae Hyun merupakan aktor kondang yang telah membintangi puluhan film dan drama sejak 1988. Film yang ia pernah mainkan termasuk The Kick (2011), Moebius (2013), dan yang terbaru Seondal: The Man Who Sells the River (2016).Saat ini, aktor kelahiran 30 Juni 1965 itu sibuk dengan proyek drama Cross yang disiarkan tvN. Ia sebelumnya juga memerankan karakter utama dalam Falsify (2017) dan Solomon's Prejury (2016).Sebagai informasi, dalam romanisasi nama marga Korea, nama depan "Jo" juga bisa disebut "Cho" karena terdengar sama. Setiap orang bernama depan itu bisa memilih versi mana saja yang lebih disukai.Beberapa hari ini, aktris Korea menggaungkan kembali gerakan #MeToo. Banyak korban yang mengungkap aksi bejat para sineas di Negeri Ginseng. Baru-baru ini, aktor Jo Min Ki dituduh melecehkan beberapa siswi di universitas tempatnya mengajar.Selain itu, sutradara film Cho Geun Hyun diklaim telah melakukan pelecehan seksual saat melakukan audisi. Sementara seorang sutradara produksi stasiun televisi MBC juga tengah diinvestigasi terkait tuduhan pelecehan seksual terhadap koleganya, dan masih banyak lagi kasus lainnya.
The Me Too movement that started in Hollywood appears to have made its way to Korean entertainment in earnest, with more and more sexual assault and sexual harassment accusations emerging of late, many of them followed by apologies rather than denials.
The seven actors or directors recently involved in sexual assault and/or sexual harassment controversies that I have not yet covered are Jo Jae Hyun, Oh Dal Su, Kim Ki Duk, Jo Min Ki, Lee Yoon Taek, Lee Hyun Joo, and Cho Geun Hyun.
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Most recently, Jo Jae Hyun is allegedly the actor in the report revolving around the sexual harassment of a female staff member on the set of a TV show back in 2013.
The actor, referred to by the initial “J” in reports, was said to have harassed a female staff member in her early 20s on the set of a television show in 2013. He is reported to be both a popular leading actor as well as a producer of plays. According to the report, “J” called the staff member away separately and forced his lips on hers, as well as touched her chest and legs. It was also said that he had tried to contact her privately several times. His agency responded on February 22 by stating, “The reports that he sexually harassed a female staff member are groundless.”
While his agency denied it and the actor remained unnamed, actress Choi Yul went ahead and not only named Jo Jae Hyun as the actor in the report, but also wrote that he’s had this reputation for a while and that there are many more.
On February 23, Choi Yul uploaded a screenshot of Jo Jae Hyun’s profile on her personal Instagram and wrote, “I was waiting for you to get exposed. It came a lot earlier than I had expected. This is only the beginning. There are many more trashy [people] out there. I can’t say much since I have a lot to lose, but until the day all perverts disappear, #metoo #with you.”
Jo Jae Hyun’s agency is currently checking with him before making a statement.
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Another recent case is that of actor Oh Dal Su, whose troubles began after a comment left online accused an actor of sexual assault. The comment was picked up in an article, in which the journalist figured out the actor’s identity and dropped obvious hints that resulted in the netizens concluding that the actor involved was Oh Dal Su.
“In 1990, Busan, ㄱ theater. He is a theater actor who secretly and regularly sexually assault his younger female junior colleagues. (t/n: talks about how this actor famously worked under a director, Lee Yoon Taek, who was recently under a sexual assault scandal as well) Now he’s well-known supporting actor for comedic acting. But to me, he’s only a devil and psychopath. After going through that horrible incident, I’ve been living with that shock for 20 years and is receiving mental treatment. I hope he gets punished for his shamelessness.”
Journalists have publicly started naming Oh Dal Su, but he has not given a response yet.
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Speaking of director Lee Yoon Taek, he was accused of rape, sexual assault, and sexual harassment.
Allegations against Lee were initially raised by Kim Soo-hee, head of Seoul-based theater company, “Mee-in.” She said that over a period of 20 years many actresses in Lee’s troupe had been forced to offer him intimate massages. After Kim went public with the assertions, other Yeonheedan staff and talent revealed their own experiences of abuse by Lee “In 2005, I was raped by Lee while I was offering him a massage. I got pregnant and had to have an abortion. Lee gave me some KRW2 million ($2,000) and an apology. Later, as the matter became forgotten, he started sexually assaulting me again,” stage actress Kim Ji-hyun wrote on her social media account. Another, Lee Seung-bi, accused Lee of punishing women who refused to cooperate. “While practicing lines, Lee groped around my groin. I pushed him away with all my power and ran away. Afterwards, the number of the shows that I had been originally booked to perform was reduced from seven to five. Lee subsequently stigmatized me as the first actress to boycott a National Theater show, when in fact I was ruled out by Lee).”
In a recent press conference, Lee Yoon Taek issued an apology and admitted to about everything except rape.
Lee held a press conference Tuesday. There he said he deeply regrets his past misconduct, and would take legal responsibility. “I offer my sincere apology to all the victims. […] Sometimes I might have committed the acts in spite of myself. Other times, I might have felt guilty but ended up not suppressing the dirty desire within. But I did not rape any one. Not everything on social media is true,” said Lee.
His specific comments addressing the accusation of rape were less than convincing, however.
“There were sexual relationships, but it didn’t happen by force. Our thoughts (on it) could have differed,” Lee said.
Yeah, not great.
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Months ago, director Kim Ki Duk was sued for allegedly assaulting and coercing an actress into a sex scene for ‘Moebius‘.
A is claiming that while filming for the movie, director Kim Ki Duk slapped her, saying she needed to immerse herself more into her role. Director Kim also allegedly pressured her into doing a sex scene that wasn’t in the movie script. Eventually, A withdrew from the movie, and a different actress filled the role. After leaving the movie, A consulted a lawyer about what sort of legal action she could take, but in the end gave up for fear of the negative impact it could have on her career. Later, after coming to terms with the fact that she may have to leave the industry, A went to the Federation of Korea Movie Workers’ Union (hereafter FKMWU), told them what had happened to her, and moved forward with legal action.
The Federation Of Korea Movie Workers’ Union claimed that staff backed accounts of the director slapping the actress and that the director pressured the actress into grabbing the genitals of an actor.
Secretary general Hong Tae Hwa of FKMWU also spoke out about the issue: “There have been staff accounts of director Kim Ki Duk slapping [A’s] face two or three separate times, and it has been revealed that Kim Ki Duk coerced [A] into filming a scene where she had to grab male genitals. It’s not that this scene wasn’t in the script, but the actress was first told that an artificial model of male genitals would be used, only to be pressured into touching an actual person and filming the scene in a way that wasn’t agreed upon beforehand. She was pressured for a long time, and in the end, the scene was filmed, and the file still remains. The exact charges will be revealed through the prosecution’s investigation.” Hong Tae Hwa went on to explain that this sort of issue is a widespread one: “Recently, there have been a lot of issues regarding the filming of sexual scenes in the movie industry. Movies can’t be filmed in completely real situations. Especially in films with sexual themes, the specifics must be outlined in the contracts. Because consent is important. [Sexual scenes] are filmed in closed spaces, so it’s difficult to know exactly what goes on. If we want to keep [these sorts of cases] from happening again, there needs to be prior discussion and consent as well as details outlined in the contract about how exactly sensitive scenes will be filmed.”
Kim Ki Duk responded by giving a vague response to the assault accusations and issued an apology for the coercion accusation, chalking it up to a misunderstanding.
Kim Ki Duk’s side responded to the allegations, claiming that A filmed a total of two times, after which she suddenly quit and cut off contact. When A didn’t show up to set on the third day, another actress’s part was changed to a double role. Xportsnews quotes director Kim Ki Duk, who said, “I want to explain what’s been said about the assault; everything else, it’s difficult to understand.” He said, “Any situation, from a director’s perspective, is one that comes about from pursuing realism in a scene, and in the middle of an audience of staff members, there were no subjective emotions involved.” On the witness accounts mentioned by FKMWU, director Kim Ki Duk said, “If there are still members of the staff who give detailed accounts, I’ll use it as an opportunity to rethink my position as a film director, as well as take responsibility for my actions. [Regarding the allegations of coercion], I believe it was a misunderstanding of my efforts as a director to depict a scene in the script in the best way possible. I sincerely apologize to the actress who was hurt by what happened.”
Eventually, Kim Ki Duk was fined by the court for assault, but other charges were denied.
The court handed him a fine of 5 million won ($4,700) in December for physical assault. Other charges, including sexual harassment, were dismissed due to a lack of evidence.
The actress appealed but was denied in January.
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A few days ago, an accusation emerged that actor Jo Min Ki had sexually harassed one of his female students for years while employed by Cheongju University as a professor. After an investigation by the school, the actor was reportedly fired from his position after he was found guilty.
Early morning on February 20, a user on an online community posted that Jo Min Ki sexually harassed a female student for a few years while he was working as a professor at Cheongju University. After undergoing investigation, the actor was reportedly found guilty and was stripped of his professorship. The post has since been deleted, but a source from Cheongju University stated that the actor underwent investigation late November last year for alleged sexual harassment. “We don’t really know details of the sexual harassment allegations, but we’re refraining from giving specific information in order to protect the privacy of our students.” “However, it is true that a penalty was imposed on Jo Min Ki by the Ministry of Gender Equality and the board of directors. The dismissal procedures will be carried out either today or tomorrow,” they added.
In a statement, Cheongju University revealed what happened and mentioned that there were multiple parties involved.
The External Affairs Coordinating Team at Cheongju University issued a statement, saying, “We don’t know the exact level of [sexual harassment] that occurred. The students aren’t giving us all the details because there are several parties involved. After getting tips from students and carrying out investigations last November, the case went through the disciplinary committee of Gender Equality. The school is only following their procedures with the penalty, but Jo Min Ki is denying the claims and insisting that he feels wronged.”
As alluded to by the university, Jo Min Ki’s agency said the sexual harassment claims were false and that he actually resigned because the university investigation concluded words and actions he used weren’t suitable for class. The agency then threatened to take action against those spreading rumors about the actor.
Jo Min Ki’s agency Will Entertainment gave their side of the story, saying, “First of all, the sexual harassment claims spreading on various news and online community sites are all rumors. It is not true that he received a punishment for sexual harassment. “Starting early last year, there were many rumors going around school, but we didn’t worry too much about them since there weren’t even any victims. The rumors, however, reached the [Cheongju University] board once a student wrote an anonymous letter, and Jo Min Ki began to receive threats that they would reveal it to news outlets. “Jo Min Ki even considered taking legal action to prove his innocence, but he wanted to protect his family. Because the other party consisted of students, he requested that the university conduct fact-finding investigations. “As a professor, he felt remorseful for being involved in such a scandal, so he submitted his resignation right away. The university said that the [resignation] can only be processed after investigations are completed, but because the victim and the writer of the anonymous letter did not come forward, the resignation was finally processed. “After investigating, the university concluded that the words and actions used by [Jo Min Ki] in class were not suitable for the course, so he was given a three-month suspension. However, Jo Min Ki took moral responsibility for the issue and submitted a resignation letter. “The university’s statement claiming that he received a punishment for sexual harassment is not true. Jo Min Ki stepped down from his position to take responsibility and self-reflect, but if people continue to use his status as a celebrity to spread rumors, they are causing harm to his family. We will take firm action against these acts.”
As far as an example of what the words and actions he claims he resigned over were, Jo Min Ki said they included tapping a student’s chest to encourage them.
“Some students testified that I touched their breast when I only told the student to act from the heart and lightly tapped (the student’s) chest,” Jo told a local broadcasting station Tuesday.
Following the actor’s denial, actress Song Ha Neul came forward, saying she could not longer hold it in. Not only did she recount her experience with sexual assault and sexual harassment at the hands of Jo Min Ki, but she said there were many other victims, and his reputation was an open secret.
“I am a rookie actress who recently debuted after graduating in theatre at Cheongju University. “I tried to forget about the past, but after reading the official statement saying that Jo Min Ki feels wronged, I could no longer hold in my anger. The things that my friends and I, along with many other students, had endured for the past few years are not ‘victimless rumors’ nor ‘fabricated conspiracy theories.’ “I am not a fool that can’t differentiate between encouragement and molestation. The things that my colleagues and I went through were clearly sexual harassment. I was so scared to come forward and I’m still scared right now, but if this controversy quiets down, there will be more victims who will live in fear like I do. That is why I am gathering the courage to write this post. “In 2013 when I entered college, my seniors warned me to be careful of Professor Jo Min Ki. His sexual harassment was an open secret within our department. But to these theatre students aspiring to be actresses, Professor Jo Min Ki had so much power and no one could complain or report it. He was a ‘king’ on our campus because he was a celebrity and successful actor. “Professor Jo Min Ki had an officetel near campus. When he came to lecture several times a week, he always called his female students to his officetel at night. These young students couldn’t reject him because he said they would have to discuss ‘acting’ and ‘auditioning.’ So they would go to his officetel and drink with him. “People always asked us why we couldn’t just say no or avoid the situation, but if we refused to go, he would keep calling us, our seniors, and our friends. We had no choice but to go to his officetel. Because we didn’t want to go alone, we often asked our classmates to go with us. Going with a friend was the only solution. “When my friend and I went to his officetel, he told us to sleep over. We told him we would just go home, but he insisted until the end and told us to get ready for bed. He even gave us toothbrushes and clothes to change into. “My friend and I went into the bathroom and didn’t know what to do. We turned on the faucet to make sure he couldn’t hear us talk. We didn’t know how to escape the situation. When we came out of the bathroom, Professor Jo Min Ki forced us onto his bed. We tried to resist but he was so strong. “He then climbed on top of me and said, ‘This is expensive,’ while putting lotion on my face. I felt so helpless and I couldn’t make any sound because my mind went blank. After that, he laid between me and my friend. He stroked our arms, stared at our faces, and put his hand on our waists. I got chills down my spine every time he did that, but I couldn’t do anything. I curled up and stayed awake, waiting for him to fall asleep. I quieted down my breathing so he wouldn’t wake up. Once the sun began to rise, my friend and I secretly left his officetel and went home. I couldn’t fall asleep that night. “One time, Professor Jo Min Ki called me over to his officetel, so I went with my boyfriend. Because my boyfriend has a low alcohol tolerance level, he fell asleep first. I was so scared that something would happen, and it felt like no one could help me. Professor Jo Min Ki started talking about my sexual relationship with my boyfriend, asking questions like, ‘What is it like,’ and ‘How often do you guys do it per week.’ I felt so ashamed but I could only force out a laugh. “I kept pinching myself to not get drunk. After a while, Professor Jo Min Ki got drunk and started to go over to his bed, so I tried to wake up my boyfriend but he didn’t get up. Professor Jo Min Ki called me over to his bed and suddenly started touching my chest. When I jumped back in shock, he laughed while saying, ‘They’re a lot smaller than I had thought.’ I got so angry, I dragged my boyfriend out of the officetel. When I saw Professor Jo Min Ki the next day at school, he pretended like nothing happened. “Even after this, my seniors and I were called over to his officetel many times. Professor Jo Min Ki kept making us drink, and one of my seniors got so drunk to the point she couldn’t keep herself steady. He carried her to his bed and told the rest of us to leave, saying that he would have her sleep at his place for the night. I couldn’t let that happen so I dragged her out of the house. Ever since then, Professor Jo Min Ki picked on me and tried to embarrass me in front of the class. “Whenever our department went out for dinner, he would bother the female students next to him, touching their thighs, backs, and faces. “In 2014, the students of our department went out to a karaoke room. Professor Jo Min Ki claimed that he only ‘hugged them out of encouragement.’ But he made his female students dance and touched their chests. We were all watching him but he acted like it wasn’t a big deal. One of the students was sitting down when he suddenly grabbed her by her legs, making her shirt go up. He pushed another student up against the wall and grinded against her in a sexually suggestive way. Most of us were 21 and 22 years old. We couldn’t stand it any longer so we went to the bathroom and called one of our seniors. We were able to leave the karaoke room once the senior came. But when we were saying bye to Professor Jo Min Ki, he grabbed my face and kissed me on the lips. “Professor Jo Min Ki made countless sexual remarks to his students and he has done much more severe things to others. Whenever I tried to tell people about this, they made me feel like it was all my fault. But now I know that it’s not. My friends and colleagues who went through so much pain should not be taking the blame. The victims should no longer stay silent, and the perpetrator should not be protected.”
Other students at the university began to come forward with their stories as well.
“(Jo) contacted me early in the morning at my personal phone number after drinking,” one student told JTBC, a cable TV station, adding that Jo had told her to come to his rented apartment. “(Jo and some students) all went to a noraebang (karaoke bar) and everyone was drunk, singing and dancing. That’s when I witnessed him approaching a female student from behind and grabbing her breasts,” another student told SBS TV.
The following day, alumni Kim Yuri came forward as well, saying she was sexually assaulted.
Kim Yu-ri, another graduate of Cheongju University’s theater department, wrote a lengthy post on the school’s online message board. She described an instance where she had been sexually assaulted by Jo after he urged her to spend the night in his residence. “Jo was a professor and a well-established actor in the profession that we students aspired to be in,” she wrote. “I believe that is why nobody could expose the cases of suffering.”
Following all that, Jo Min Ki’s company only made a statement saying he would cooperate with the police investigation and that they are taking the allegations seriously.
In a statement Wednesday, Will Entertainment said Jo would “sincerely respond to police investigation” and “the company is well aware of how serious the allegations against him are.”
Well, that’s a change of tone.
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Earlier this month, director Cho Geun Hyun‘s sexual harassment controversy started with a post on social media.
An actress (hereafter referred to as “A”) posted on social media with the hashtag “MeToo” on February 6 and shared the story of a meeting she’d had with Cho Geun Hyun about a music video he was directing. She wrote that the meeting had taken place on the afternoon of December 18, 2017, in the director’s studio. According to “A,” she and the director only talked about matters related to the music video for 20 minutes of the meeting, which in total lasted for an hour and 20 minutes. For the other hour, she had to listen to Cho Geun Hyun’s obscene comments and gossip, disguised as advice. He had told her about how one actress had seduced a director, and another actress had talked about spending the night with a director when she had an audition. She wrote, “Cho Geun Hyun said, ‘Acting skills are not what is important for an actress. You have to know how to seduce a man as a woman. What do you think is better, acting clean and remaining as a supporting actress or seducing someone and being the lead?’ He said that actors have to have an animal instinct and know how to make bold choices, and also said, ‘Let’s meet again next time.’ He said, ‘People have to be drunk to become a bit more honest.’” “A” went on to say that she had wanted to respond in anger, but all she could do was listen because she was in an unfamiliar space and she was scared since he was a man who was stronger than her and she didn’t know what might happen. She said, “I wonder if he is right to have argued that ‘An actress definitely has to sleep with a director.’ I felt really pathetic for having worked so hard to prepare for the interview. I wondered if I had come all this way just to listen to these kind of comments.” “A” also wrote that she had posted the message in the hopes that other hopeful actors and models would not be harmed in the future.
Cho Geun Hyun responded by releasing a statement of apology … well, sorta.
“Regardless of what the situation was, I sincerely apologize if you were hurt because of that meeting. I’m not sure if you’ve seen my films, but I have always strived to have good values, and I’m the type to truly hate causing trouble to others. As it seems that I have harmed someone in this way, I am extremely distressed. It appears that I unintentionally talked for too long about reality because it seems like the film world can be seen in a too romantic way outside of the ecosystem called film. When I think about it now, I realize that my comments could have been interpreted as being overly provocative or biased. I was polite as I spoke passionately and I was disappointed that I hadn’t been able to hear what you had to say, so I wanted to meet with you again. I thought that even that could make you feel pressured, so I didn’t force it. Still, I see that you were hurt and even uploaded a post, and so I am distressed by that itself and my mistake is large. I apologize once again. If I were to have one small wish, it would be that you would take down that post. Films are not the work of one person, they include the hard work of many people, and so I think that my small mistake could diminish the film.”
Uh … what?
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Earlier this month, director Lee Hyun Joo was convicted of sexually assaulting a fellow female director.
In December, the court charged female director “A” with sexual assault of her colleague, female director “B.” “A” received a sentence of two years in prison, with probation for three years, and 40 hours of mandatory sexual violence education.
On February 1, female director “B” and her fiancé posted their story on social media. “In the spring of 2015, I was sexually assaulted by a colleague and former schoolmate, another female director,” she wrote. “My attacker dragged out the trial for two years, but last December the official verdict was given. While the trial was still going on, my attacker promoted her film through various events and film festivals. Seeing my attacker win an award made me beyond surprised and lose faith in humanity.”
For whatever reason, Lee Hyun Joo found it appropriate to release a statement about her conviction days later.
On February 6, female director “A” revealed her name and released her own statement on the issue. The director was revealed to be Lee Hyun Joo, who directed the 2016 film “Our Love Story” and won Best New Director at the Blue Dragon Film Awards last year. In her statement, she stated, “I am a female director named Lee Hyun Joo. And I am a lesbian. For a long time I was not able to reveal my sexuality to anyone around me. When I thought about how homosexual people are treated in our society, I could not come out with any confidence, and instead carefully portrayed my worldview in my film.” She continued, “My sexuality has been revealed in a way that I did not want, including to my family. Rather than explaining my actions in an official capacity, I have chosen to comfort my shocked parents instead.” Despite the official verdict, Lee claimed, “The victim was one of the few people that knew I was a lesbian and we were close friends. In April 2015, I went drinking with the victim and three other men. Because she was very intoxicated, I eventually took her to a motel and stayed with her at the request of the others who were with us.” “When she woke up, she started confiding her concerns to me and got emotional. When I began to comfort her, we naturally moved to sexual relations. Through various circumstances, I believed that the victim wanted to have sexual relations with me. When the victim woke up confused, I explained the situation to her, and we parted ways as usual.” “However, that evening I received a call from the victim’s boyfriend. I told him the truth, that we had had sexual relations in mutual consent. A month later, I suddenly heard that I was being sued. The victim said that she would pretend nothing had happened if I would acknowledge that the incident was entirely one-sided, but I was unable to lie, so we went to court.”
Understandably, the victim was not having any of that and released a response.
“B” wrote in her statement that she had been drinking with Lee Hyun Joo and three male acquaintances that night after an evening class at the Korean Academy of Film Arts. When she became very intoxicated, two of the male acquaintances carried her to a motel so she could sleep rather than take the trip home to Daegu in her condition. One of the acquaintances has stated that he placed her on the bed at around 7:40 a.m., and asked Lee Hyun Joo to stay with her as it would be dangerous for her to be on her own in the motel. She stated that it was around noon when she awoke to find that she had no clothes on except for her bra. When she asked Lee Hyun Joo, who was fully clothed, what had happened, she told her that they had slept together. “B” wrote that they then received a call from the motel to alert them that it was time to check out, and she agreed to go with Lee Hyun Joo to a restaurant nearby because she wanted to understand what had happened. However, it was too noisy for them to talk while they were eating. “B” stated that Lee Hyun Joo then said that since she had paid for their motel room, “B” should pay for the meal. After “B” paid, Lee Hyun Joo suggested that they go to a cafe, and “B” agreed because she wanted to hear what she had to say. When they arrived at the cafe, “B” asked Lee Hyun Joo what had happened, and she was told that she had been the one to kiss Lee Hyun Joo first, and then they had slept together. “B” wrote that she was shocked and told Lee Hyun Joo she didn’t believe it, but Lee Hyun Joo replied that she shouldn’t tell her boyfriend since it was something that had happened while they were drunk, and then accused her in annoyance of being the reason she now had a memory of a bad event. “I didn’t remember, so I replied, ‘I’m sorry,’” wrote “B.” The pair then went their separate ways. “I kept crying on the train home to Daegu,” she wrote. “It was because I didn’t understand at all what had happened to me.” When she told her boyfriend, he realized that a crime may have occured, and he recorded all of their phone conversations with Lee Hyun Joo. In a call that night, Lee Hyun Joo told him that “B” had seemed uncomfortable, so she had removed her underwear and stockings. She said that after “B” had touched her chest and kissed her, they had started having sex. “B” stated that the next morning, she received a threatening message from Lee Hyun Joo, who said she would kill her if she saw her again. When she called Lee Hyun Joo, she told “B” that “B” had cried that night and confessed she was a lesbian, and that Lee Hyun Joo had comforted her. “B” pointed out that Lee Hyun Joo said in her confession letter that a month after the event, “B” had made a report all of a sudden, even after they had eaten and talked together. “This is an outright lie,” she wrote. She stated that there were also two more phone calls after that call, which were recorded and submitted to the court as evidence. “B” wrote that she had called her to ask for an apology, but that during those conversations, Lee Hyun Joo had expressed anger with her and blamed her rather than apologizing. She also wrote that when she had told the acquaintances who were drinking with them that night, they told her that she had been too drunk to have said anything, and that she had been asleep when she was placed on the bed. She also included the text from the court sentencing of the case, which corroborates her statements. “B” wrote, “In all your long and shameful excuses, where is your apology to me? Where is your apology to the film fans who supported you with a pure heart?” “B” went on to state that she had been horrified to find out that the motel where she had been assaulted, which Lee Hyun Joo had recommended that night, also appeared in one of Lee Hyun Joo’s films.
Lee Hyun Joo then issued an apology for her actions and announced her retirement.
On February 8, Lee Hyun Joo released an official statement and said, “I felt my own sense of frustration with the course of the trial. I tried to be understood through my statement revealing my side of the story. I don’t think that what I did now to get rid of my frustration and to be understood will be any type of exoneration. Many people have already gotten hurt from what happened and that wound is only getting bigger.” She continued, “I apologize. I was busy trying to relay what happened that day and overlooked the pain felt by the victim and the victim’s boyfriend following that day. Regardless of the reason, I acknowledge and am remorseful that my actions inflicted much pain. And to those in the film industry and viewers who loved and supported ‘Our Love Story,’ and to everyone who worked on this film, I apologize for causing great shock and pain.” Lee Hyun Joo concluded, “Films were my entire life. They were what I lived for until now. However, I will take responsibility for this and I will no longer do any film work. I apologize for making you worry.”
The excuses seem to be the same no matter what.
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Seems to me that this is just the tip of the iceberg at the moment, and it sure seems like something that could gain even further momentum going forward.
: Sports Today via Nate1. [+1,724, -30] His daughter's only been getting roles because of her dad... now she won't be getting any thanks to her dad. People always accused of her being a golden spoon but it turned out to be a perverted spoon.2. [+1,521, -31] Thank you to all of you for your bravery in coming forward. Let's take this chance to throw out all the trash in the industry.3. [+1,482, -24] Jo Hye Jung's dad from 'Take Care of My Dad'? Wow... the world is just so dirty...4. [+168, -1] At this point, 'Take Care of My Dad' has a lot of reruns to look back on...5. [+148, -0] His name along with Oh Dal Soo kept getting mentioned when #metoo first exploded, finally it's in the media6. [+118, -0] Hul, even Jo Jae Hyun-ssi? Is everyone just sex crazed??7. [+115, -2] 'Take Care of My Pervert'........8. [+105, -1] With the sentiment in our society right now, any victim who comes forward will be met with support... so it'd be better to come forward with as much detail as possible if you're going to come forward at all...9. [+102, -2] It's all these guys with daughters of their own... why are they so crazy?10. [+63, -2] All these men with daughters... are men just animals?...: Herald POP via Nate1. [+600, -10] Just yesterday, she was probably consoling her friend Jo Yoon Kyung over her dad Jo Min Ki being exposed... now her own father's exposed2. [+512, -8] This is a mess, what a mess;; how can these men look at their own children in the face again;;;3. [+56, -0] Shouldn't we be worrying about the victims, not the daughters of the attackers? I'm sure their families will be taking care of themselves just fine.4. [+55, -2] The #metoo movement is so strong because it's more effective than just reporting it to the police. If the police were helpful at all in investigating these cases, people would've done it already.5. [+47, -1] Why would anyone worry about Jo Hye Jung? We should be worried about the two victims right now
