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K-pop singer and TV star Jung Joon-young has been arrested over allegations he illicitly taped and shared sexually explicit videos of women, who were filmed without their knowledge or consent.
The 30-year-old was taken into custody hours after he appeared in court in Seoul, South Korea, during which he apologized to his victims, CNN reported. Jung had admitted on Wednesday to having shared videos he secretly took while having sex with women, and before the hearing started, he said he had committed “an inexcusable crime,” according to Reuters.
“I am truly sorry,” he later said in a statement to members of the press outside the courthouse after the hearing. “I admit to all charges against me. I will not challenge the charges brought by the investigative agency, and I will humbly accept the court’s decision. I bow my head in apology to the women who were victimized by my actions.”
Lee and Jung were both members of online chat groups where secret sex tapes were shared, and where men joked about drugging and raping women, Reuters quoted broadcaster SBS as reporting.
Jung is accused of being part of an online group chat where secret sex tapes were shared. Other alleged members of the group include fellow K-Pop idol Seungri, who is also suspected of paying for prostitutes for foreign businessmen to drum up investment in his business, the outlets said. He has denied any wrongdoing, and has also announced he is quitting the entertainment industry, saying, “I just cannot bear causing any further damage to people around me, while being hated and criticized by the public and being treated as a nation’s enemy during the investigation.”
If found guilty, the men could be sentenced to five years in prison or face a fine of up to 30 million won ($26,424).