"Is a kiss a crime?" Japanese woman accused of forcibly touching BTS Jin ultimately fails to appear in court [Star Issue]

*This content was translated by AI.

A Japanese national, identified as A, who was indicted for allegedly kissing BTS member Jin without consent, ultimately did not appear in court.

The Seoul Dongbu District Court's Criminal Division 9 held the second trial session on the 16th regarding A's charge of forcible molestation but postponed the trial again due to A's absence.

The court stated, "Given that A failed to appear for a second time following the 14th, it is difficult to proceed with the trial in her absence. We will postpone and schedule a new date later."

Previously, A submitted a notice of objection and reservation of rights regarding the trial proceedings to the court last June. It appears she raised an objection believing there were issues with the current trial process. However, the specific reasons for her submission remain unknown.

A is accused of forcibly attempting to kiss Jin on the cheek during a fan meeting event called "Free Hug" held at Seoul Songpa-gu Jamsil Indoor Gymnasium on June 13, 2024, where she hugged Jin in front of 100 fans. At the time, Jin immediately turned away, appearing flustered.

Subsequently, A posted on her social media account stating, "My lips touched Jin's neck. His skin was very soft." Fans who witnessed this filed a complaint through the National Complaint Center, requesting an investigation into A for molestation in a crowded public place.

In response, Seoul Songpa Police Station opened a case against A and requested her appearance. However, anticipating that the investigation would take considerable time, they decided to suspend the investigation last March.

Later, A entered the country and voluntarily appeared before police for questioning. The police determined that the charge of forcible molestation was substantiated and referred the case to the Prosecution Service.

The Prosecution Service noted that A claimed she considered the physical contact with a celebrity as mere casual touch and had no criminal intent. However, they concluded that the charge stands, considering her physical contact regardless of the victim's consent, along with her post-incident behavior and statements.

Following this, A told Japanese TBS News regarding her indictment, "I am upset (or indignant). I never thought this would be considered a crime," expressing her sense of injustice.

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.