H.O.T.'s Jang Woo-hyuk Accused of Assault and Abuse; Defamation Case Heads to Appeals Court

Jang Woo-hyuk (장우혁), a singer and former member of the first-generation idol group H.O.T., has been accused by a former employee, identified as 'Ms. A,' of verbal abuse and physical assault. Ms. A was subsequently charged with defamation after publicly revealing her allegations. Following her acquittal in the first trial, prosecutors have appealed the verdict, and the second trial is set to resume in September.

The Seoul Western District Court's Criminal Division 2-1 is scheduled to hold the first hearing for the second trial on September 10. The case involves Ms. A, who is accused of violating the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection, specifically regarding defamation.

The allegations first surfaced on June 10, 2022, when Ms. A posted on an online community, claiming Jang Woo-hyuk had physically assaulted her twice. She stated that in early 2014, while sharing a taxi during an overseas business trip, Jang Woo-hyuk, wearing leather gloves, suddenly punched her in the back of the head. She further alleged that in 2020, while attaching a microphone to him before a performance, he suddenly slapped her hand and uttered profanities.

Ms. A also claimed that she had endured long-term verbal abuse and personal insults from Jang Woo-hyuk, stating, "At the time, I thought these were things I had to endure for work." She even blamed herself for choosing to tolerate the behavior and continue working. She also revealed that someone had told her, "Maybe because you're a woman, he didn't hit you as hard."

In response, Jang Woo-hyuk denied all accusations, emphasizing that they were "completely untrue," and subsequently filed a defamation lawsuit against Ms. A.