Japanese fan charged with sexual harassment for kissing BTS' Jin at event last year
The woman, reportedly in her fifties, unexpectedly kissed BTS member Jin on his cheek during an event in June 2024.
Jin, a member of the K-pop boy group BTS. (Photo: Instagram/jin)
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The Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors' Office announced on Monday (Nov 17) that it had indicted a Japanese woman on charges of sexual harassment.
The woman, reportedly in her fifties, had given BTS member Jin an unsolicited kiss on his cheek during an event in June 2024 – which was promoted as a "free hug" event to commemorate the completion of Jin's military service.
Videos of the kiss had sparked outrage, prompting fans to lodge complaints against the woman.
It was reported that after the kiss, the woman wrote that Jin's skin was "extremely soft" on her blog.
South Korean police initially announced that they had suspended investigations into the case in March this year, saying that it could take time for the woman to appear for questioning. Under police regulations, an investigation can be put on hold if a suspect is untraceable, stays overseas for over two months, is seriously ill or cannot be contacted for questioning for a prolonged period.
However, the woman eventually turned herself in for questioning and the police then forwarded the case to prosecutors after determining the charges were valid.
BTS is set to release its new album in spring 2026.
