A fan who attempted to kiss BTS member Jin during a free hug event last year, triggering allegations of sexual harassment, has now been criminally charged.
On Thursday, the Songpa Police Station in Seoul confirmed that they charged a Japanese woman in her 50s with indecent conduct in a public space. She was summoned for questioning earlier this month.
The woman is accused of trying to kiss Jin unexpectedly during the 2024 FESTA event, which took place on June 13, 2024, at the Jamsil Indoor Gymnasium in Songpa-gu, Seoul.
This event occurred just one day after Jin was officially discharged from his military service as a sergeant. It featured a Hug Event, during which Jin embraced over 1,000 fans for nearly three hours to celebrate BTS’s 11th anniversary.
It was a private gathering for 1,000 lucky fans, selected by lottery from BTS Weverse membership subscribers who had purchased Jin’s solo single “The Astronaut” or BTS’s Proof album.
While most fans followed the rules and expressed their well-wishes to Jin, a few crossed the line by suddenly kissing him on the cheek. This sparked a sexual harassment controversy when Jin visibly recoiled, clearly uncomfortable with the unexpected physical contact.
After the incident, a post allegedly written by the woman who attempted the kiss appeared on an online forum, further escalating the situation. The post read, “My lips touched his neck. His skin was incredibly soft.”
As news of the incident spread rapidly on social media, many called the act sexual assault. One fan expressed their outrage, saying, “Jin held an event to hug 1,000 fans to celebrate his return from military service, and I was furious to hear that some fans attempted sexual assault.” The fan revealed they had reported the incident to the police, citing a violation of the Sexual Violence Punishment Act, which addresses indecent acts in crowded public spaces.
However, the woman has yet to respond to the police’s summons. Authorities are also expected to question Jin as part of their investigation, as he is the victim in this case.