Earlier on June 12, BTS' oldest member Jin was discharged from the military at the 5th Infantry Division training center in Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi. Fans were ecstatic over his return, as the idol was set to attend the 2024 BTS FESTA event on June 13, which was held in Seoul.
During the event, Jin held a free hug session that aimed to embrace around 1,000 ARMYs, while wearing a sign that said "Hug Me." The session went viral online, as netizens were surprised by how wholesome the segment was than expected.
Unfortunately, ARMYs were enraged when a couple of fans attempted to kiss the idol, causing a stir online. They criticized the fans for invading Jin's personal space and making the idol visibly uncomfortable with the gesture.
To the second girl wearing a blue outer, it's clear that you initiated non-consensual touching/kissing, which made Seokjin flinched and felt uncomfortable. This behavior is also categorized as sexual harassment. People like you should never have been near any member. https://t.co/9M92Sx4Z2L
— dali⁷ (ia) (@bibillynamu) June 13, 2024
The incident made its reach to the police authorities.
On June 14, Songpa Police Station confirmed that a complaint was received via the National Petition System, which includes an alleged breach of the Sexual Violence Punishment Act.
The police clarified that the complaint was indeed obtained through the National Petition System. However, a formal complaint has yet to be received, and that the suspects haven't been booked yet.
Furthermore, authorities followed up that they would review whether to investigate the complaint's details.
Police reports filed against fans who kissed BTS Jin during his hug-eventhttps://t.co/cUbomQ9yIf pic.twitter.com/Z8JCBCovb9
— pannchoa (@pannchoa) June 14, 2024
"We have received a complaint through the National Petition System, but a formal complaint has yet to be collected," the police shared. "We have not yet named the suspect."
Earlier on the same day (June 14), an individual referred to as "Ms. A" uploaded a post in a fan community stating that they had reported the fans due to misconduct and accused them of sexual harassment. Korean news outlets also shared a brief statement from the individual.
"Jin held a hugging session with 1,000 fans to celebrate his discharge from the military, but I couldn't help but be angry when I heard that it became controversial because some fans tried to sexually harass him.
I filed a complaint to the police for the fans' violation of the Article 11 of the Sexual Violence Punishment Act,' which was a 'molestation in a crowded place."
Here's how netizens reacted to the complaint:
- "The company should be the one going out to punish them, but that bast**d's company isn't doing anything."
- "What is the company doing? They are so bad at their job."
- "I get why fans would want to do this, but it just makes it into a bigger thing. I doubt Jin wants his returning fan event to end in prosecutions."
- "If he does, he's a 31-year-old man who can handle it himself."
- "It's just a mess."
- "I don't know how one thinks that sort of behavior is okay. Creeps. Jin himself should make a report at the very least to show that this sort of behavior is not okay."
- "I don't think they will go through with it unless Jin files the complaint himself."
- "I get that it's disgusting but do fans really think something will happen if they report it themselves."
What are your thoughts on the incident at the hug event? Let us know in the comments below.
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Written by Israel Monte
