Remaining doubts in actress Jang Ja-yeon’s suicide case
- 5 years ago
의혹 여전한 장자연 사건 10주년...재조사 기간 2개월 연장
With the ongoing investigation into the Burning Sun scandal... President Moon Jae-in not only wants a thorough investigation of that case.
He ordered the prosecution to launch a probe to reveal the truth behind some past cases, including one from a decade ago involving an actress and her suicide note.
Lee Min-sun has the full story.
In March 2009, 29-year-old actress Jang Ja-yeon killed herself. She left a seven-page letter which detailed the sexual crimes committed against her.
In the letter, Jang accused her agent of forcing her to attend drinking parties and provide sexual favors to 31 high profile figures from the entertainment industry, press, and corporate and political fields.
The police investigated seventeen people from the list,... but they were all dismissed due to lack of evidence. Only her agent was punished for assault and intimidation,…raising suspicions of about the thoroughness of the investigation.
"Realistically, it's not easy to investigate high profile people just because their names appeared on the list. It would require evidence or very specific accounts from witnesses. So, a thorough investigation of those people would have been difficult at the time."
Jang's case re-surfaced last year when actress Yoon Ji-oh, who was the only witness in the investigation into Jang's case, gave testimony in public.
“I need a lot of advice on whether to mention the names I saw on the list and I will do what I can to verify the truth."
The 6-month probe launched by the prosecution last year was extended until May this year.
“The probe is focused on verifying whether the investigation was conducted poorly at the time. If the conclusion requires re-investigation, it will be done on cases within the remaining statute of limitations. But the probe may face some difficulties since it doesn't have legal force."
Although the statute of limitations has passed for most charges, the expert thinks a thorough probe to find the truth is a necessary step for legal authorities to regain trust.
Lee Min-sun, Arirang News.
With the ongoing investigation into the Burning Sun scandal... President Moon Jae-in not only wants a thorough investigation of that case.
He ordered the prosecution to launch a probe to reveal the truth behind some past cases, including one from a decade ago involving an actress and her suicide note.
Lee Min-sun has the full story.
In March 2009, 29-year-old actress Jang Ja-yeon killed herself. She left a seven-page letter which detailed the sexual crimes committed against her.
In the letter, Jang accused her agent of forcing her to attend drinking parties and provide sexual favors to 31 high profile figures from the entertainment industry, press, and corporate and political fields.
The police investigated seventeen people from the list,... but they were all dismissed due to lack of evidence. Only her agent was punished for assault and intimidation,…raising suspicions of about the thoroughness of the investigation.
"Realistically, it's not easy to investigate high profile people just because their names appeared on the list. It would require evidence or very specific accounts from witnesses. So, a thorough investigation of those people would have been difficult at the time."
Jang's case re-surfaced last year when actress Yoon Ji-oh, who was the only witness in the investigation into Jang's case, gave testimony in public.
“I need a lot of advice on whether to mention the names I saw on the list and I will do what I can to verify the truth."
The 6-month probe launched by the prosecution last year was extended until May this year.
“The probe is focused on verifying whether the investigation was conducted poorly at the time. If the conclusion requires re-investigation, it will be done on cases within the remaining statute of limitations. But the probe may face some difficulties since it doesn't have legal force."
Although the statute of limitations has passed for most charges, the expert thinks a thorough probe to find the truth is a necessary step for legal authorities to regain trust.
Lee Min-sun, Arirang News.