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| Han Ji-sang / Photo=DB |
On the 9th, the university withdrew Han’s appointment following sustained student objections. Protesters pointed to his past sexual assault allegations and demanded the appointment be revoked. Large notices and coordinated activity on social media amplified the students’ objections, and faculty convened an emergency meeting before announcing the decision to cancel the hire.
Students’ opposition centered on a scandal from 2020. In May of that year, reports emerged that a well-known musical actor, identified only as H, had been accused by a female fan, A, who alleged attempted extortion and coercion. She said the two first met around May 2018 and, four months later, accused him of sexual assault and demanded a public apology; H was subsequently identified as Han Ji-sang.
A’s description of the alleged assault differed sharply. She said what began as a routine fan meeting quickly turned coercive: within hours he allegedly demanded sexual acts under a bar table, and later took her to a booked couple’s massage where she says he tried to force sex.
The parties also offered conflicting accounts about a settlement. Han’s camp said A initially demanded a large sum of money, while A’s side maintained she made clear she did not want financial compensation and that Han was the one who urged her to name an amount, mentioning a large figure first.
In November 2020, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office issued a non-prosecution disposition regarding A. As the dispute played out legally, private messages exchanged between the two were made public, dealing a serious blow to Han’s public image. Given the inherent power imbalance between instructors and students, students in Sungkyunkwan’s Department of Acting and Performance voiced concerns about being placed in classrooms where they did not feel safe.
Ultimately, the department’s faculty issued a statement announcing they had replaced the lecturer (Han Ji-sang). They said the hiring review had acknowledged Han’s past controversy, but noted that multiple judicial findings at the time indicated there had been no forcible molestation and that these conclusions were reflected in official records. Faculty also cited the prolonged harm the actor suffered due to public backlash and expressed shared concern about a culture that can irreparably ruin a person’s life over a single episode.
The faculty apologized for the forcible removal of student posters and pledged to pursue education guided by stricter ethical standards and greater sensitivity.
[Sports Today Reporter Song O-jung ent@stoo.com]
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