A former member of a six-member boy group is facing trial for sexually molesting another member.
On April 3, it was reported that a boy group member had sexually molested a member of his own group since they were trainees, leading to concerns that trainees and idols, even after their debut, aren’t properly protected by labels.
According to reports, on March 29, prosecutors demanded that a former idol member be sentenced to three years in prison, have his identity revealed, be forced to undergo sexual education training and have restrictions placed on his work for five years.
According to a Seoul Shinmun report, the male idol sexually molested his member at least three times from 2017 to 2021. The report states that the alleged male idol has admitted to most of the charges. When asked about the charges, however, the idol stated he didn’t remember.
QuoteAt the time, I was drunk, so I don’t remember.
— Alleged idol
According to reports, the alleged victim reported the crime to Gangnam Police in 2021, and Seoul’s Central Prosecutors then indicted the alleged perpetrator in January of last year. The alleged perpetrator has since left the team for personal reasons. When reached for a statement, the alleged group’s label stated they’d release a statement later.
QuoteWe are currently confirming the facts and will later release a statement.
— Alleged label