Yoo Ah-in, accused of same-sex sexual assault, joins hands with lawyer who reported Burning Sun's golden phone

Actor Yoo Ah-in (38, real name Eom Hong-sik), who is on trial for drug use, was accused of sexually assaulting a man in his 30s (pseudo-rape). Although Yoo Ah-in denies the charges, he is in an even more difficult situation after being accused of sexual assault by a man during his trial on drug charges.

According to the police on the 26th, Yongsan Police Station in Seoul received a complaint against Yoo Ah-in on charges of male sexual assault. Petitioner A (30) claims that she was sexually assaulted by Yoo Ah-in while she was sleeping at an officetel in Yongsan-gu on the 14th. It is known that Mr. A woke up and realized that he had been sexually assaulted and filed a complaint with the police the next day, the 15th.

The police are investigating the possibility that Yoo Ah-in, who is on trial on charges of habitual drug use, committed the crime while under the influence of drugs. On the 25th, the police investigated the complainant, Mr. A, and conducted a simple drug reagent test, but it was found that the result was negative.

While the police investigation into Yoo Ah-in has not yet been conducted, Yoo Ah-in is denying the allegations of same-sex sexual assault. Attorney Bang Jeong-hyeon, who identified himself as Yoo Ah-in's legal representative, officially announced on this day, "We state that the contents of the complaint related to Yoo Ah-in are not true."

Then, as if concerned about the creation of rumors about Yoo Ah-in's sexual identity in relation to the same-sex sexual assault accusation, he said, "We ask you to refrain from unnecessary speculation regarding his private life." Under the current law, in the case of same-sex sexual assault, the crime of 'quasi-rape' is applied, not the crime of rape.

Yoo Ah-in's side denied it, but if the charges turn out to be true, it seems that Yoo Ah-in's issues related to his sexual identity, along with the drug charges, will become known to the public regardless of his intentions.

In particular, the history of lawyer Bang Jeong-hyun, who served as legal representative for Yoo Ah-in's sexual assault accusation, also attracts attention. Attorney Bang was an informant who submitted a cell phone containing singer Seungri and Jung Joon-young's group chat room to the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission at the time of the Burning Sun Gate, which occurred in 2019. I made my name known. At the time, Attorney Bang took the lead in publicizing criminal charges related to the Burning Sun Gate through various media.

Meanwhile, Yoo Ah-in is being tried on charges of habitually administering medical propofol 181 times between September 2020 and March 2022 at hospitals in Seoul under the pretext of anesthesia for cosmetic procedures. On the 24th, the prosecution sentenced Yoo to four years in prison.

Choi Ji-ye, Ten Asia Reporter wisdomart@tenasia.co.kr