Ko Young-wook "My Instagram was shut down... Thank you for the attention, even if only for a moment"

[Image source = Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Eun-young] Ko Young-wook, a former member of the group Lula who caused controversy over allegations of sexual assault and molestation of minors, has explained the deactivation of his Instagram account.

On the 14th, Ko Young-wook opened up on his Twitter, saying, "My Instagram was closed."

He continued, "I did not block comments; I set it so that only people I follow can comment," adding, "I was planning to gradually follow more people, but I received many direct messages, so I was replying to them when the account got blocked. After that, I was unable to access Instagram. I thank those who showed interest, even if only briefly."

Earlier, on the 12th, Ko Young-wook opened a personal Instagram account and stated, "I have spent nearly nine years in isolation, but as long as I am alive, I cannot continue living like this, so now I want to cautiously communicate with the world," which sparked controversy.

He said, "I am still a very flawed person, but I will always reflect and strive to become a better person." However, Ko's Instagram posts were blocked just one day after the account was created. Netizens also responded coldly to his premature return, saying things like, "If you committed a crime, you should live quietly," and "Do you think you have paid for your sins just because you were released?"

Ko Young-wook was arrested and prosecuted on charges of forcibly molesting three minors a total of five times between July 2010 and December 2012 at his officetel and in his car. The court sentenced him to 2 years and 6 months in prison, 3 years of electronic monitoring via an electronic anklet, and 5 years of public notification of his personal information. Ko was released on July 10, 2015, after serving his full sentence and wore the electronic anklet until 2018.

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