First Appeal Hearing Held For Jung Joon Young, Choi Jong Hoon, And Others In Aggravated Rape Case

On February 4, the first appeal hearing for Jung Joon Young, Choi Jong Hoon, and others took place at the Seoul Central District Court.

In November 2019, Choi Jong Hoon, Jung Joon Young, and three other individuals were charged with aggravated rape in Gangwon Province in January 2016 and in Daegu in March 2016. They also faced charges of filming and spreading footage that was illegally taken during that time. Choi Jong Hoon and “Kim” (a Burning Sun merchandiser) received prison sentences of five years, while Jung Joon Young received a prison sentence of six years. “Heo” (an entertainment agency employee) received a sentence of eight months, suspended for two years, and “Kwon” (an office worker) received a sentence of four years.

The defendants and the prosecution all appealed the verdict, leading to this new round of hearings.

In a written document, Jung Joon Young, Choi Jong Hoon, “Kwon,” and “Heo” cited misunderstanding of legal principles, misunderstanding of the facts, and unfair judgment as reasons for their appeal. “Kim” also cited unfair judgment as a reason for his appeal, but admitted to the charge of quasi-rape.

The court accepted the prosecution’s request for victims to testify as witnesses, which did not happen during the original trial. The prosecution requested that witness questioning take place in a closed court and arranged so that the witnesses and defendants do not come face-to-face. The court also stated that they would check the recorded files that were submitted as evidence in the original trial. Representatives of the hotel where the crime took place submitted a request for a fact-finding inquiry, which the court also granted.

The next appeal hearing will take place on February 27.

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