A former agency employee has been acquitted of defamation charges after publicly accusing Jang Woo Hyuk, a member of the legendary K-pop group H.O.T., of physical assault and workplace abuse.
Local media reported that the Seoul Western District Court cleared the employee of all charges on October 29th. The judge ruled that there was insufficient evidence to prove the employee’s online exposé was false. The court also rejected Jang Woo Hyuk’s counter-claim that he was the one who had been assaulted by the employee, pointing out significant inconsistencies in his story.
The legal battle began after the employee posted on an online community alleging two specific instances of physical abuse by the 47-year-old singer.
The first incident reportedly occurred in 2014 during an overseas business trip. The employee claimed that while sharing a taxi, Jang Woo Hyuk struck the back of their head with a gloved fist. The second incident allegedly took place in 2020 at a TV network station, where the employee said Jang hit their hand and muttered a curse word while they were adjusting his microphone.
The employee also detailed a pattern of verbal abuse, stating, “I often suffered insults even in daily life, but I thought it was something I had to endure.”
Jang Woo Hyuk sued the employee for defamation and denied all allegations against him. During police questioning, he claimed he was the victim in the 2020 incident, alleging the employee hit his hand so hard it caused him “stage fright and PTSD.”
However, the court found his testimony unreliable. The judge noted that Jang never reported pain or injury at the time and gave inconsistent statements about where the alleged assault happened, first claiming it was in a “waiting room” during a phone call, then changing his story to a “hallway” in court.
The trial also exposed Jang’s verbal abuse. Testimony revealed he made demeaning comments to the employee, such as, “Are you making me feel like sh*t during the script reading?” Multiple other agency employees also testified that they had personally witnessed or experienced his abusive behavior.
Prosecutors have appealed the acquittal.
Meanwhile, Jang Woo Hyuk appeared on the SBS variety show Dolsing Fourmen on November 25th, where he discussed his dating life.
He revealed he is currently seeing 31-year-old actress Oh Chae Yi after meeting her on Trendy Men’s Lifestyle. “I thought it would be great to date, but now my ‘love cells’ have exploded and I’m even considering marriage,” he shared.
However, he clarified that while he is meeting her privately without cameras, marriage isn’t guaranteed with her specifically, noting, “My thoughts on marriage generally have changed a lot.”
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