A suspended sentence for harassment of Jungkook
A Brazilian citizen received a one-year suspended prison sentence in South Korea for harassing Jungkook, a member of BTS. The ruling, issued on May 8 by the Seoul Western District Court, found her guilty of violating the anti-harassment law and trespassing, according to The Korea Times.
The woman harassed the singer 22 times between December 7 and 28 of last year. He appeared at his residence and in nearby areas of Yongsan District. He rang the doorbell, loitered, waited for the artist and left objects in the house. On December 13, he took advantage of an open side door while a delivery driver came and went to enter the property. She was arrested, released, but did not stop. In January, authorities issued an emergency order prohibiting him from coming within 100 meters of the singer or his home.
The court imposed a suspended sentence on him: he will avoid prison if he does not commit new crimes or breach conditions for two years. The judges considered that he acted to express his feelings towards Jungkook, without intending to harm him. They also pointed out that she never managed to enter the home and ruled out the risk of recidivism, in part because she will be permanently expelled from South Korea once the sentence becomes final.
It is not the first time that the artist faces this type of situation. Another woman, a Chinese national, was arrested after trying to enter her home using the access code on the day Jungkook concluded his military service.
The case reopens the debate about the safety of K-Pop artists and legal measures against obsessive harassment. South Korean authorities have toughened sanctions to protect public figures.
