Sexual Violence, Drugs, Illegal Gambling, Repeated Scandals in Entertainment Industry... Calls for "Ban on Criminal Activities" [Kim Gayeon's Perspective Twist]

From Illegal Gambling to Sexual Violence... Repeated 'Crime Allegations' Controversies in the Entertainment Industry
8 out of 10 Citizens Support Ban on Broadcast Appearances by Convicts
Last Year, 'Broadcast Law Amendment' Proposed... "Significant Impact on Youth"

The Supreme Court announced on the 24th that it has upheld the original ruling that found singers Jung Joon-young and Choi Jong-hoon guilty in their final appeal trial on charges including violation of the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Sexual Crimes (special rape). The photo shows Jung Joon-young (left) and Choi Jong-hoon (right) attending the warrant hearing held last year. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Ga-yeon] Amid ongoing controversies in the entertainment industry, including recent cases of group sexual assault and illegal gambling allegations, there is a growing public demand to ban celebrities who have caused social disturbances from appearing on broadcasts. Given past instances where some entertainers committed crimes but returned to the public eye after a period of self-reflection, there are calls to establish related regulations. Since celebrities have significant social influence, there are concerns that repeated incidents could negatively affect youth and others.

In January 2016 in Hongcheon, Gangwon Province, and in March of the same year in Daegu, singers Jung Joon-young and Choi Jong-hoon were each sentenced to five years and two years and six months in prison, respectively, for group sexual assault of intoxicated women.

On the 24th, the Supreme Court's 2nd Division (Presiding Justice Park Sang-ok) confirmed the guilty verdicts in the appeals of Jung Joon-young and Choi Jong-hoon, who were tried for violating the Special Act on the Punishment of Sexual Violence Crimes (special rape) and other charges. The court dismissed the appeals, stating, "There is no illegality in the lower court's judgment regarding the laws on special rape and forced molestation."

Recently, gambling scandals have also erupted involving some famous entertainers, including idol singers and comedians.

On the 16th, the Metropolitan Investigation Unit of the Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency booked Yoon Hak (real name Jung Yoon-hak) and Sung Je (real name Kim Sung-je), members of the group Supernova (formerly Choshinseong), without detention. They are suspected of gambling 'baccarat' with stakes of 50 million won in the Philippines once or twice between 2016 and 2018. During police investigations, they admitted to illegal gambling but denied visiting the Philippines for the purpose of illegal gambling.

Additionally, comedian Kang Sung-beom, who is active as a pro-government political commentary YouTuber, and singer Kim Ho-joong have also been embroiled in gambling allegations. Kang Sung-beom explained on TBS FM's "Anin Bamjung-e Joo Jin-woo Imnida" on the 21st, "It is true that I often went to the Philippines, but I did not engage in illegal gambling."

Kim Ho-joong's agency, "Saenggak-eul Boyeojuneun Entertainment," released an official statement on the 20th of last month, saying, "Kim Ho-joong has never personally registered on any illegal internet gambling sites nor used tens of millions of won for gambling. He has acknowledged and apologized for the illegal gambling allegations and is reflecting on his actions. He will sincerely and actively cooperate if the police investigation proceeds."

As various criminal allegations against famous entertainers continue to surface, citizens are calling for concrete measures to restrict the broadcast appearances of celebrities who commit crimes. Because there are no established regulations, it has become common for offenders to return to broadcasting after arbitrarily determined self-reflection periods.

Singer and actor Park Yoochun (33), who was arrested and indicted on drug use charges, was sentenced to 10 months in prison with a 2-year probation in the first trial. On the morning of July 2, he left Suwon Detention Center in Paldal-gu, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do, and responded to questions from the press. Photo by Yonhap News

Since entertainers earn from tens of millions to hundreds of millions of won due to public interest and wield considerable social influence, there is a call for heightened vigilance. Although moral standards may vary individually and cannot always be regulated, restrictions are necessary for crimes where guilt has been proven.

College student Kang (23) said, "Allowing criminals to appear on broadcasts and live off public attention sends the message that such crimes are trivial," criticizing the situation.

Kang added, "I often hear arguments that talent and past (criminal records) should be considered separately, but that is truly absurd. Then why do entertainers exposed as school violence perpetrators stop their activities? Isn't that a double standard? Since there have been cases of criminals returning to broadcasting, I think it is necessary to establish regulations."

On the other hand, some express concerns that such measures might infringe on individual freedoms.

Office worker Kim (30) said, "While I agree that related measures should be established, I also worry that it might infringe on individuals' freedom to choose their occupation. If such a system is implemented, it should obviously prevent return for serious crimes like sexual violence, assault, or murder, but detailed discussions are needed on how to handle minor offenses."

A survey showed that the majority of the public supports banning convicted celebrities from appearing on broadcasts.

According to a poll conducted by Realmeter in July last year for CBS, surveying 504 adults, 78.3% of respondents agreed that such measures are socially necessary. Only 17.2% opposed, citing excessive regulation of human rights.

Meanwhile, last year, a "Broadcasting Act Amendment" was proposed to suspend or ban the broadcast appearances of celebrities with criminal records.

Democratic Party lawmaker Oh Young-hoon, who proposed the bill, stated on CBS Radio's "Kim Hyun-jung's News Show" in December last year, "For example, we want to include sanctions that suspend or ban broadcast appearances of entertainers sentenced to imprisonment or higher for specific crimes such as those under the Criminal Act, drug-related laws, sexual violence crimes, laws protecting children and adolescents, and traffic laws."

Oh emphasized, "Considering that the main audience for entertainers is teenagers and that over 70% of aspiring entertainers are teenagers, the impact on youth is significant. Under current laws, offenders can return after a self-reflection period, but since there is no standard for this period, it does not meet public expectations. Therefore, it is necessary to present clear and specific standards."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.