A Jessi fan was attacked after asking the singer to take a photo with him.
According to media reports on October 11, the victim, an 18-year-old boy, claimed that early in the morning of September 29, he approached Jessi to ask for a photo while she and her acquaintances were found in an alley in Apgujeong, Seoul. The victim claims that a member of Jessi’s group blocked him and insulted him in English, and that Jessi then intervened, apologized and refused the request for a photo.
However, according to the victim, another man then approached and suddenly attacked him, punching him in the face and kicking him, as he was about to leave. According to surveillance footage, the group accompanying Jessi can be seen separating the attacker from the victim and attempting to stop the fight. The victim specifies that Jessi tried to intervene at the beginning, before withdrawing and disappearing. Still according to the victim, Jessi’s group left the scene while he reported the incident to the police, leaving him there without providing him with help.
After hearing the victim’s story, police found Jessi and her group at a nearby bar, but the attacker was not present among them. Police reports indicate that Jessi and her group claimed not to know where the man was.
On the day of the incident, the victim’s mother went to Jessi’s agency? There she learned that the attacker was not linked to Jessi but was a Chinese acquaintance of a producer close to her. For about 10 days after the incident, they received no news or information from the police or the agency.
On October 10, the victim returned to the police station, where officers said they had not yet been able to identify the attacker. That morning, the informant received a message from the mentioned producer, which read: “Jessi does not know the person who attacked you and is not involved in this matter. You should not contact Jessi or her camp to threaten them. » The victim told the media that he never threatened Jessi and that he never even contacted her.
A lawyer for Jessi’s agency told JTBC:
“Jessi was not involved in the assault incident. The perpetrator and Jessi met for the first time that day. If the victim views Jessi and the perpetrator as part of the same group, we will consider how to approach this issue morally. »
As for the police, they declared:
“We had no choice but to contact the producer who was with them to verify the identity of the attacker. We have asked the producer to appear, and he is scheduled to do so next week. »
If we are to believe the information collected by the media, the victim would suffer significant psychological distress and would hope for the arrest of the attacker.
On October 12, Jessi decided to speak out about the matter, declaring on Instagram:
“Hello, it’s Jessi.
First of all, I sincerely apologize for causing concern to many people with the recent reports of assault.
Recently, during a private outing with acquaintances, a fan asked for a photo. However, as it was late at night, I politely declined twice. At that point, a nearby individual who I had seen that night for the first time suddenly assaulted the fan. Because I was also too shocked by the sudden turn of events, I couldn’t show my consideration towards the fan.
Regardless of the exact details of the incident, I express immense regret that the victim suffered such an act of injustice, and I feel morally responsible. Shortly after the incident, my label and I contacted the victim’s mother, and we are currently working to ensure that the victim finds the culprit and receives a proper apology and appropriate compensation, and that the victim is punished properly .
We urge you to refrain from viewing this incident through a one-sided view and issuing reports ‘based on suspicion’. »
