Korean TikTok star convicted of sexual assault resumes posting to millions of followers

South Korean TikTok creator Seo Won Jeong was convicted of quasi-rape (jun ganggan) by the Supreme Court on March 13, for sexually assaulting an unconscious woman in July 2023, yet he has resumed posting videos to his more than 55 million followers despite the ruling.

Under South Korean law, quasi-rape refers to engaging in sexual activity with someone who is unconscious or unable to resist, often due to intoxication or other incapacitation and it is treated as a form of rape.

The case centered on an incident in which Seo and an accomplice brought an intoxicated woman to a friend’s home, where the assault took place while she was unconscious. Emergency responders forced entry after Seo failed to answer the door, leading to a police investigation and criminal charges.

While a lower court initially sentenced Seo to three and a half years in prison, the appeals court reduced the sentence following a settlement with the victim. The court upheld an 18-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, meaning he avoided jail time but remained legally guilty of the charge.

Public confusion around the case has been fueled by a viral, unrelated video that circulated during the early stages of the investigation. The clip showed a tattooed man allegedly kicking a woman near an elevator, and supporters falsely identified him as Won Jeong. He denied involvement and pointed out that he does not have tattoos, leading many fans to conclude he was being falsely accused.

Although the video was never part of the legal case and unrelated to the assault, it has since been widely cited in comments as proof of his innocence. “You were proven innocent and not guilty… you didn’t have a tattoo,” one fan wrote under his latest video. Another insisted, “The man who kicked the girl had a tattoo on his arm but Won Jeong didn’t… Plus, Won Jeong is sorry for scaring people even if he didn’t do anything.”

In response to the online support, some creators criticized the public’s misunderstanding of the case. TikTok creator @ellenacuario has pushed back against what she described as deliberate misdirection. She noted that fans often confuse the unrelated video of the tattooed man with the actual assault case, which “had absolutely nothing to do with the rape.” She also pointed out that Seo’s vague denial of filming the victim has been used to downplay his conviction.

Emphasizing the legal outcome, she said: “This man is guilty of raping an unconscious woman… he doesn’t deny raping her, which is the true heart of this case. He’s trying to redirect people from grasping the truth so he can get back to making his TikToks.”