On the morning of the 19th, Jung Joon-young is scheduled to be released from Mokpo Prison in Jeollanam-do, marking the completion of his sentence.
Jung Joon-young, along with other members of the infamous “Jung Joon-young chat room,” faced accusations of drugging and sexually assaulting women in Gangwon Province, in January 2016, and Daegu in March of the same year. Jung was also charged with sharing inappropriate videos of himself with the women in the group chat room, violating the Sexual Violence Punishment Act over several months starting in late 2015.
At the initial sentencing hearing on November 29, 2019, the court sentenced Jung to six years in prison, mandated completion of an 80-hour sexual assault treatment program, and imposed a five-year employment restriction at child and youth-related organizations and welfare facilities for the disabled. Jung, along with the other defendants, filed an appeal against the first trial verdict, and the prosecution also appealed. In the appeal sentencing hearing, the court reduced Jung’s sentence to five years in prison, maintained the requirement for the sexual assault treatment program, and extended the ban on working in specific institutions for five years. This sentence represented a one-year reduction from the initial trial.
In September 2020, the Supreme Court’s Second Division dismissed both the defense and prosecution appeals, affirming the second trial’s ruling. Consequently, Jung Joon-young was released from prison on the same day after serving five years behind bars.
Jung Joon-young rose to fame through Mnet’s “Superstar K4” in 2012 and appeared in various entertainment programs. However, following the sexual assault allegations, he announced a halt to his entertainment activities, acknowledging his wrongdoing by stating, “I admit all my sins.”
