South Korean singer-songwriter Jung Joon-young was convicted of gang rape and distributing videos of the assaults and other sexual encounters, and was jailed for six years in a scandal that has rocked K-pop.
Jung Joon-young and Choi Jong-hoon (right). Pics/AFP/Twitter
Jung distributed his videos in mobile chatrooms with recipients including fellow K-pop star Seungri of BIGBANG, accused of illegal gambling in connection with a sex and drugs scandal. Jung was jailed for six years and Choi, 29, for five, a court said. "Jung and Choi took part in gang rape of victims who were intoxicated and unable to resist," Yonhap news agency cited the verdict as saying, rejecting the defendants' claim the sex was consensual.
"It is hard to fathom the extent of suffering the victims must have gone through." The two singers had been hugely popular but had perceived the victims only as "sexual objects" to be exploited, it said. But while the minimum sentence for rape in South Korea is three years most online commentators said the penalties were too lenient.
Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
