Singer Jessi, whose real name is Ho Hyun-joo, aged 36, has clarified that she does not know assailant Mr. A, who was accused of assaulting one of her fans. However, there are claims that Mr. A contacted her directly.
On October 23, a video titled “Jessi’s Lies Revealed… Why Did the Assailant Contact Her?” was uploaded to the YouTube channel “Entertainment President Lee Jin-ho.” Currently, Jessi is at the center of attention due to an incident where her acquaintances allegedly assaulted her underage fan. Last month on the 29th, producer Koala, who had collaborated with Jessi, was caught on CCTV pushing the fan, and Koala’s acquaintance, Mr. A, was seen suddenly assaulting the fan. Despite the situation, Jessi left the scene without taking any significant action, leading to controversy. Jessi, along with Koala, appeared at the police as suspects on the 16th, where she maintained that she was meeting Mr. A for the first time.
YouTuber Lee Jin-ho commented that Jessi has fallen into a precarious situation due to the fan assault controversy. Not only did she face a police investigation on the 16th, but there were also additional revelations that she experienced a similar incident in Itaewon in 2013. As a result, Jessi’s exclusive contract with her agency was terminated. Jessi claimed she had no connections with the assailant, describing him as a friend of Koala’s Chinese acquaintance. Although Jessi did not participate in the assault, she allegedly fled the scene after witnessing it. Because of past trauma from the Itaewon incident, Jessi tends to leave immediately when disputes arise at drinking parties. However, the major issue in this event is that after the assault, Jessi allegedly went to another drinking session with some attendees. Her poor handling of the situation was criticized.
Additionally, there are ongoing suspicions that Mr. A has connections with the Triad organization “Wah Ching” and that he left Korea after assaulting the fan. Since he is not a Korean national, his identity remains unclear. The gathering on that day was a party hosted by Koala, who invited 50 to 60 of his acquaintances, making it difficult to outright dismiss Jessi’s claim of not knowing Mr. A. Jessi feels wronged by being perceived as an accomplice. After the incident was publicized through JTBC’s “Case Chief” on November 11, it is said that Mr. A contacted Jessi directly. This happened after Jessi reportedly raised the issue strongly with Koala. Mr. A disclosed his identity and contact information to Jessi. However, despite receiving contact from Mr. A, Jessi’s side has not clarified this matter, which has drawn criticism for her lack of proactive response in supporting the victim. It is speculated that Jessi was contacted by Mr. A after the public disclosure but before the police investigation. There is curiosity whether this report was submitted to relevant authorities.
The YouTuber also mentioned that Jessi has been advised several times by acquaintances concerned about the company she keeps, saying that some of her friends have questionable character. This incident appears to be a culmination of those concerns. Recently, Jessi purchased a house worth 4 billion won ($3.5 million), taking a significant loan of 2 billion won ($1.7 million) to do so, marking the fruit of her 20 years in Korea. With so much emotional investment, Jessi had been actively engaged in the property’s interior design until this incident forced a halt in all activities, indicating her distressed state.