Late K-pop star Goo Hara’s ex-boyfriend Choi Jong Bum will serve jail time for blackmailing her over sex videos that played a part in her evident suicide. on July 2, the verdict for Choi Jong Bum’s crimes was finally served and shockingly he will serve jail time after he was initially given a suspended sentence.
In 2018, Goo Hara- a member of former girl group Kara- told local media in an interview that her ex threatened “to end her entertainment career” by leaking their sex videos. A CCTV clip of the couple was also found in which the singer was kneeling before him supposedly begging him not to.
On November 24, Goo was found dead at her home in Seoul, believed to have taken her own life after facing all the abusive comments following the reports about the video.
Choi, a hairdresser, had physically assaulted the idol and blackmailed her with a sex tape in September 2018. Last year, he was convicted of multiple crimes including blackmail and inflicting injuries, and was given a suspended jail term. Both he and the prosecution appealed, and the Seoul Central District Court on Thursday ordered a heavier sentence, jailing him for one year.
The appeal was held on May 20,2020, and he pled guilty to all charges except for the one regarding the nonconsensual filming.
His blackmailing over the footage and physical assault had seriously damaged the late star’s reputation and left her with an irreversible trauma. ” Choi was well aware that the degree of damage would be very serious if the videos were leaked, given the victim was a famous celebrity” the court said in a statement. But the court said that there was not sufficient evidence that she did not consent to be filmed.
Goo Hara’s brother attended the final sentencing and he met reporters afterwards, he said that the small prison sentence he’ll serve will provide a source of comfort to their family. However, he added that they found regrettable that he was not found guilty of filming her without her consent and that he was sentenced to only one year. He also added that he won’t stop fighting and will pursue a final appeal to increase his prison sentence.
South Korea, being a conservative country, where women who appear in such videos often feel shame despite being the victim and are forced to face ostracism and social isolation if the image became public.
Hara’s Instagram account was flooded with hateful comments about her appearance and history with Choi. Her death came a month after another K-pop star Sulli and a close friend of hers took her own life after a long struggle with online bullying.
Goo Hara’s fellow KARA member Kang Ji Young opened up about the late singer confessing that she misses her and urged her family to stay strong.
Eduindex News 