[Exclusive]"Jang Woo-hyeok, assaulted twice" exposed... 'First-instance acquittal'  Staff to face court again in September

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

A company employee, A, who was accused of slandering Jang Woo-hyeok after alleging that he had been subjected to verbal abuse and physical assault by the singer from the first-generation idol group H.O.T., will have his appeal retrial resume in September.

The Seoul Western District Court Criminal Division 2-1 (Appeal) (B) is scheduled to hold the first appeal trial for A on charges of violating the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection, etc. (defamation) on September 10.

A claimed on June 10, 2022, via an online community that he had been assaulted twice by Jang Woo-hyeok.

At the time, A stated, "In early 2014, while traveling in a taxi with Jang Woo-hyeok at a business trip location overseas, Jang suddenly punched me on the back of my head with his gloved hand." He added, "Later, ahead of a 2020 performance, he hit my hand as I was setting up his microphone and said 'Oh no.' Although I had frequently been subjected to verbal abuse and personal insults from (Jang Woo-hyeok) in the past, I thought it was something I naturally had to endure. Since continuing to work through it was my own decision, I considered everything my fault. Some even told me that because I am a woman, (Jang Woo-hyeok) probably didn't hit me as much."

In response, Jang Woo-hyeok called the allegations "baseless" and filed a defamation lawsuit against A. During the police investigation, Jang stated, "Actually, in 2020 at a broadcasting station, I was the one who was assaulted." He continued, "I was organizing my microphone and other equipment strapped to my waist ahead of a performance when visibility was poor, so I needed someone's help. A was nearby but did not assist; he only watched from behind. When I asked for help, A approached me and hit my hand with his right hand so hard that it made a 'thwack' sound."

The Prosecution Service acknowledged as true the claim that A was assaulted and verbally abused at the business trip location but deemed the allegation of being assaulted at the broadcasting station in 2020 to be false, leading to A's indictment in May 2023.

Subsequently, the Seoul Western District Court Criminal Division 9 (Single Judge), which served as the first-instance court, acquitted A.

The court ruled that Jang Woo-hyeok's testimony lacked credibility, stating, "Although Jang Woo-hyeok claimed he was hit so hard by A that it made a 'thwack' sound, there is no record whatsoever of him complaining about pain or injuries resulting from the alleged assault. The day after the incident, Jang Woo-hyeok merely sent a text message criticizing A for his slow response. No disciplinary action or warning against A was taken at all."

The court further noted, "Considering the relationship between the company representative and the employee, it is difficult to conclude that A assaulted Jang Woo-hyeok without any reason. It is more natural to assume that Jang Woo-hyeok, who held a superior position, lost his temper and struck A." The court pointed out, "Jang Woo-hyeok made inconsistent statements regarding the location of the incident and the presence of bystanders (witnesses). Such inconsistencies in testimony attitude and content are difficult to attribute to simple memory errors; there is room to suspect they were intended to conceal his own actions and shift blame for the perpetrator."

Regarding A's testimony, the court stated, "It is specific and naturally aligns with the circumstances. If it had been fabricated with the intent to slander Jang Woo-hyeok, he would likely have described the extent of the assault and the expressions in a dramatic manner. It is difficult to conclude that A's allegations of false facts have been proven beyond any reasonable doubt."

Following this, the Prosecution Service appealed against the first-instance verdict.

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

*This content was translated by AI.View Original