South Korean police suspend probe of woman who kissed BTS’ Jin at hug event

SEOUL – The South Korean police announced on April 1 that they have suspended their investigation into a Japanese woman in her 50s who unexpectedly kissed Jin, a member of the K-pop group BTS, at a fan-hugging event in 2024.

The woman, who is in Japan, was

called for questioning in February

on charges of sexual harassment in a public space. However, she did not cooperate, the police said.

Given that it will take more than a few months to summon the suspect, the authorities decided to put the case on hold.

Under police regulations, an investigation may be suspended if a suspect remains untraceable, resides abroad for more than two months, suffers from a severe illness or cannot be reached for questioning for an extended period.

“We plan to resume the investigation as soon as the woman appears for questioning,” the police said.

While the suspect is expected to comply in the coming months, no date has been set, according to South Korean news reports.

The incident occurred on June 13, 2024, during Jin’s first public appearance following

his military discharge.

At the three-hour event in Jamsil Indoor Stadium, where the 32-year-old singer hugged 1,000 fans who had won the chance to line up and hug him, the woman appeared to kiss his cheek, prompting him to turn away.

She later wrote on her blog, “My lips touched his neck. His skin was extremely soft”, fuelling further allegations of sexual harassment and leading another fan to file a criminal complaint with the police. THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK