Jin of BTS. - Photo courtesy of BigHit Music
SEOUL: The South Korean police announced Monday (March 31) 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 last year.
The woman, who is currently 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 local news reports.
The incident occurred on June 13 last year during Jin’s first public appearance following his military discharge.
At the three-hour-long event in Jamsil Indoor Stadium, where the 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,” fueling further allegations of sexual harassment and also leading one of the fans to file a criminal complaint to the police. - The Korea Herald/ANN
