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South Korean police summon Japanese woman
for kissing BTS member without consent
[February 28, 2025]
By HYUNG-JIN KIM
SEOUL,
South Korea (AP) — South Korean police said Friday they are summoning a
Japanese woman for questioning over allegedly kissing Jin, a member of
the K-pop supergroup BTS, without consent during a free hug event last
year.
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Jin, a member of South Korean K-pop band BTS, poses for photographers
ahead of a press conference to introduce their new single "Butter" in
Seoul, South Korea, on May 21, 2021. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man, File) |
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A
police officer who answered the phone at Seoul’s Songpa police
station said it requested the woman to appear for questioning
over an allegation of sexual harassment. The police station
refused to disclose her identity citing privacy.
The station said it had launched an investigation after
receiving an online complaint and refused to provide further
details because an investigation was under way.
Media reports said that South Korean police were able to confirm
the identity of the woman with the help of Japanese police. The
reports said the woman, who is in her 50s, was refusing to
appear for questioning.
A day after finishing his mandatory 18-month military service in
June 2024, Jin, whose real name is Kim Seok-jin, celebrated his
discharge and the band’s 11-year anniversary by offering free
hugs to his fans at an event in Seoul. During the event,
reportedly attended by 1,000 people, a woman abruptly kissed
Jin, on his cheek. Video footage that went viral showed Jin
apparently looking uncomfortable.
The woman wrote in an online blog post that “My lips touched his
neck. His skin was so soft,” according to Yonhap news agency.
BTS was created in 2013 and has a legion of global supporters
who call themselves the “Army.” Jin, 32, is the oldest member of
the band.
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