"Please Accept Me as Your Butler and Partner" Hundreds of Texts... Jung Eun-ji Stalking Woman Given Probation

Stalking Since 2020... Sent a Total of 544 Messages
Contacted Even After Being Reported... Denies All Charges Completely

A woman in her 50s who was prosecuted for stalking singer and actress Jung Eun-ji for several years was sentenced to a suspended prison term.

On the 18th, Judge Lee Yong-je of the Seoul Central District Court Criminal Division 13 sentenced Cho, a woman in her 50s, who was charged with violating the Act on the Punishment of Stalking Crimes, to one year in prison with a two-year suspension. The court also ordered Cho to pay a fine of 100,000 won, undergo probation, and complete 120 hours of community service.

Previously, Cho was accused of stalking Jung Eun-ji by sending a total of 544 messages via text messages containing phrases such as "Will you accept me as your butler?" and "Please accept me as your partner," as well as through social networking services (SNS) and Bubble (an idol communication application) from March 2020. In May of the same year, she also chased Jung’s vehicle on her motorcycle from the KBS main building to a hair and makeup shop located in Gangnam-gu. Additionally, in July 2021, she was caught lurking at the entrance of the apartment where Jung resided and was taken into custody by the police.

Afterwards, Cho said, "I will never send messages to (Jung) again," but continued to send repeated messages, leading Jung’s agency to file a complaint against Cho in August 2021. However, even after the complaint, Cho reportedly continued to contact Jung through Instagram direct messages (DMs).

Cho, who was prosecuted, completely denied the charges. The court stated, "The content of the messages sent by the defendant to the victim appears to exceed the usual expressions of ▲support ▲interest ▲affection that fans generally send to celebrities they like," and added, "Even if the victim joined Instagram and the Bubble app to communicate with the general public, it cannot be considered that she consented or permitted any form of approach or contact."

Furthermore, the court explained the sentencing reasons, saying, "The defendant’s criminal nature is not good, and the victim seems to have suffered considerable mental shock, pain, anxiety, and fear," and "The defendant denies the crime and shows no signs of remorse." Cho’s side filed an appeal immediately after receiving the first trial verdict on the 15th.

Meanwhile, Jung Eun-ji debuted in 2011 as the main vocalist of the girl group Apink. Since then, she has released numerous hit songs such as ▲Mollayo ▲Nae-ga Seolrel Su Itge ▲My My ▲FIVE ▲NoNoNO ▲Deomdeoreom and continues to be active as a singer. In 2012, she solidified her status as an "acting idol" by playing the lead role of Sung Si-won in tvN’s "Reply 1997."