A stalker who sent hundreds of messages to girl group Apink‘s Eunji and followed her on a motorcycle, even going to her house, has been given a suspended sentence.
According to the legal circle on the 18th of January, Judge Lee Yong-je of the Seoul Central District Court’s Criminal Division 13 sentenced a 50-year-old woman, Ms. Jo, who was indicted for violating the Act on the Punishment of Stalking Crimes and other related laws, to one year of imprisonment with a two-year suspended sentence.
Ms. Jo was also ordered to pay a fine of 100,000 won ($75) and undergo protective supervision, 120 hours of community service, and 40 hours of stalking prevention lectures.
In March 2020, Ms. Jo first approached Eunji by sending her a message saying, “Will you accept me as your servant and companion?” In May of the same year, she followed Eunji on a motorcycle from Yeouido to Cheongdam-dong hair and makeup shop. In April and July of the following year, she repeatedly committed stalking crimes by lurking at Eunji’s apartment.
In July 2021, while waiting at Eunji’s home, Ms. Jo sent a message to the agency official saying, “I will never send a message again,” after receiving a warning from the police not to approach Eunji.
However, Ms. Jo’s stalking did not stop there.
After the incident, Ms. Jo continued to send messages to Eunji, including Instagram direct messages (DMs), causing her distress. The DMs and paid messaging service Bubble messages that Ms. Jo sent to Eunji amounted to 544 times in just five months.
Among the messages Ms. Jo sent to Jung Eunji were ones that included phrases like, “Ming-ah (Jung Eun-ji’s nickname), did you sue me? Why? I only send messages now.” As a result, Eunji announced in December 2021 that she would suspend the Bubble service.
The judge stated, “The defendant’s messages went beyond the level of support, interest, and affection that a fan would send to a celebrity. Even if the victim joined Instagram and Bubble to communicate with the public, it cannot be seen as consenting or allowing any form of contact or communication.”
The judge further pointed out, “Despite the victim experiencing significant mental shock, pain, anxiety, and fear, the defendant did not show any remorse or reflection on her actions,” and criticized the severity of the crime.
Source: (A)
