The personal information of a man identified as Mr. A, who assaulted a minor fan of the singer Jessi (Korean name Ho Hyun-joo, 35), is spreading online. Based on photos and videos, it has been claimed that he is a Taiwanese-American and associated with the Triads.
On the 21st, a YouTube channel posted a video alleging that Mr. A is affiliated with the Wah Ching, a prominent Triad group based in the U.S. Wah Ching is the largest Triad group in the U.S. and has the longest history, reportedly involved in drug trafficking and money laundering activities in the San Gabriel Valley, California.
The YouTube channel stated that Mr. A has attended gangster movie premieres in Taiwan and has appeared in media such as YouTube. Notably, Mr. A publicly promoted his Instagram account ‘sgvOO’, where ‘sgv’ refers to San Gabriel Valley, the Wah Ching’s base, and ‘OO’ is assumed to be his alias. Comments on YouTube videos he appeared in, such as “Oh, it’s Wah Ching OO” and “I was just about to mention that,” suggest some viewers recognized him. As of the current date, the Instagram account ‘sgvOO’ has been deleted.
A man resembling Mr. A was also seen in a promotional video by Wah Ching uploaded 16 years ago on YouTube. Despite the poor quality of the old video, similar facial features and tattoos were noted by the YouTube channel. However, whether this man is indeed Mr. A has not been confirmed.
On September 29, in Apgujeong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, an incident occurred where a minor fan who requested a photo with Jessi was assaulted by Mr. A and others accompanying Jessi. It appeared that Jessi attempted to stop the assault but left the scene with the group shortly after without taking further action.
As the controversy grew, Jessi issued an apology via her Instagram, stating that she met the assailant Mr. A for the first time that day, and is working to quickly locate the perpetrator, obtain an apology and compensation, and ensure appropriate legal action is taken.
Jessi appeared for questioning at the Gangnam Police Station on October 16th, in the status of a respondent to the complaint. She expressed her desire for the assailant to be quickly apprehended and punished and stated her intention to truthfully share what happened with the police.