Suspended Prison Sentence Maintained... Probation and Community Service Revoked
Sent Hundreds of Messages and Even Staked Out in Front of the House
A female stalker in her 50s who sent hundreds of messages and even followed Jung Eun-ji, a singer and actress and member of the girl group Apink, to her home, received a reduced sentence in the appellate court.
On the 7th, Yonhap News reported that the Seoul Central District Court Criminal Appeals Division 1-2 (Presiding Judges Ahn Hee-gil, Jo Jeong-rae, Lee Young-gwang) sentenced Jo (59, female), who was tried for violating the Stalking Punishment Act, on the 5th to 1 year in prison with 2 years probation, a fine of 100,000 won, and ordered her to attend 40 hours of lectures on preventing stalking recidivism, as in the first trial. However, the court overturned the probation and 120 hours of community service orders imposed in the first trial.
Jo was prosecuted on charges of visiting Jung’s residence or sending hundreds of messages via social networking services (SNS) from March 2020 to December 2021. She is accused of stalking Jung by sending a total of 544 messages through text messages, SNS, and Bubble (an idol communication application) containing phrases such as "Will you accept me as your butler?" and "Please accept me as your partner."
In May 2020, Jo also chased Jung’s vehicle on her motorcycle while Jung was traveling from the KBS main building to a hair and makeup shop in Gangnam-gu. In July 2021, Jo was caught and arrested by police after lurking at the entrance of the apartment where Jung lives.
Despite police warnings to stay away and promising her agency that she would "never send messages to (Jung) again," Jo was found to have sent 544 messages over five months via Instagram direct messages (DM) and paid platforms. Ultimately, Jung’s agency filed a complaint against Jo in August 2021.
In the first trial, Jo denied all charges and appealed the verdict. The appellate court explained the reason for the reduced sentence, stating, "The defendant admitted all charges at this stage and appears to sincerely reflect on her wrongdoing. Considering that she has no prior criminal record, the original sentence was somewhat heavy and unfair."
Jung Eun-ji debuted as the main vocalist of the girl group Apink in 2011 and has since been actively pursuing both singing and acting careers. Recently, she played the lead role of Lee Mi-jin in the JTBC drama "She Who Has Different Days and Nights," which ended on the 4th of last month, and also sang the drama’s OST song "Stay" herself.
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