[Herald Economy’s Ahn Se-yeon Reporter] The conclusion has been reached regarding the sexual assault case involving Jinjo Crew, a world-ranking number one B-Boy team. The member accused as the perpetrator has been sentenced to two years and six months in prison. On the other hand, Jinjo Crew filed a 500 million won lawsuit against the victim, claiming an attempt to dismantle the team under the pretext of sexual violence, but they lost the case.
According to the legal community on the 2nd, the Seoul High Court’s 8th Criminal Division (Chief Judge Kim Seong-soo) sentenced Jinjo Crew member A to five years in prison, the same as in the first trial. This verdict has now been confirmed. Separately, in the 500 million won damage lawsuit that Jinjo Crew filed against the victim, the Seoul Eastern District Court’s 14th Civil Division (Chief Judge Min So-young) ruled against Jinjo Crew.
The incident began when a female victim, who was a part of Jinjo Crew, posted on social media stating she was sexually assaulted by a male member of the crew. As the matter gained public attention, Jinjo Crew expelled the identified member and apologized.
However, a month later, Jinjo Crew abruptly announced they would take legal action against the victim. Through their legal representatives, they claimed there was an attempt by the victim and some members to “bring Jinjo Crew to ruin,” alleging they coordinated the timing of such actions and released the team’s internal discussions to outsiders.
The sentencing for the perpetrator has been confirmed as two years and six months. The investigation disclosed that most of the victim’s claims on social media were true.
In the first trial, led by the Incheon District Court Bucheon Branch’s 1st Criminal Division (Judge Kim Jeong-ah), the court found A guilty of attempted rape and illegal filming. It was determined that A had illegally filmed the intoxicated, sleeping victim during a company retreat and attempted to sexually assault her but failed when the victim awoke.
During the trial, A claimed innocence, stating he neither filmed nor attempted any assault. He also noted that the victim had not filed a lawsuit until approximately 18 months after the incident. However, this defense was not accepted.
The first trial’s verdict highlighted Jinjo Crew’s influence as an internationally acclaimed team, suggesting the victim did not initially report the incident to avoid hindering her career aspirations in dance, having been chosen for the national team reserve. The court noted, following the incident, that the victim disclosed her experiences to others and even attempted self-harm due to emotional distress, although she continued with the dance team aiming for a national team selection. Eventually, her family encouraged her to file the suit after she left the team, and she did so after reading an article about A’s personal sponsorships.
The court concluded the victim made no demands, such as settlement money or anything that might damage the team’s reputation, apart from requesting an apology from A. In contrast, A’s inconsistent statements between social media and the court, and his destruction of evidence crucial to the investigation, were noted as aggravating factors.
In the appeal, A received a reduced sentence of two years and six months, considering his efforts to recompenses, such as placing 30 million won on deposit to show his attempt to make amends even if an agreement was not reached with the victim. The Seoul High Court decided the reduced sentence, acknowledging A’s eventual admittance of wrongdoing during the proceedings and efforts at reparations.
Jinjo Crew, accusing the victim of defamation and subsequent financial loss stemming from their cessation of activities following the scandal, filed civilian and criminal lawsuits worth 5 billion won against her. However, investigations last July found the victim not guilty of defamation or business obstruction. Furthermore, the civil suit filed by Jinjo Crew was dismissed, the court asserting the victim’s social media post was not false and did not result in demonstrable harm to the crew.
The Seoul Eastern District Court’s 14th Civil Division (Chief Judge Min So-young) also dismissed Jinjo Crew’s claims and ordered them to cover the legal costs. The court maintained the victim’s post primarily detailed her experiencing sexual assault and her subsequent psychological trauma, finding it difficult to deem the testimony false when considered as a whole.
Jinjo Crew, founded in 2001, is known as the first team to sweep the five major B-Boy contests globally, ranking first in both team and individual categories from 2008 to 2019. They also won a competition on JTBC’s reality show ‘Showdown.’ This recent verdict, however, could still see Jinjo Crew lodge an appeal before it becomes final.