South Korean police summon Japanese woman for kissing BTS member without consent

Jin, a member of South Korean K-pop band BTS, poses for photographers ahead of a press conference to introduce their new single "Butter" in Seoul, South Korea, on May 21, 2021. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man, File)

SEOUL, South Korea — South Korean police said Friday they are summoning a Japanese woman for questioning over allegedly kissing Jin, a member of the K-pop supergroup BTS, without consent during a free hug event last year.

A police officer who answered the phone at Seoul’s Songpa police station said it requested the woman to appear for questioning over an allegation of sexual harassment. The police station refused to disclose her identity citing privacy.

The station said it had launched an investigation after receiving an online complaint and refused to provide further details because an investigation was under way.

Media reports said that South Korean police were able to confirm the identity of the woman with the help of Japanese police. The reports said the woman, who is in her 50s, was refusing to appear for questioning.

A day after finishing his mandatory 18-month military service in June 2024, Jin, whose real name is Kim Seok-jin, celebrated his discharge and the band’s 11-year anniversary by offering free hugs to his fans at an event in Seoul. During the event, reportedly attended by 1,000 people, a woman abruptly kissed Jin, on his cheek. Video footage that went viral showed Jin looking uncomfortable.

The woman wrote in an online blog post that “My lips touched his neck. His skin was so soft,” according to Yonhap news agency.

HYBE, the band’s management company, didn’t immediately respond to an emailed request for comments.

BTS was created in 2013 and has a legion of global supporters who call themselves the “Army.” Jin, 32, is the oldest member of the band. He was the first to join the military in December 2022, and the band’s six other members have later begun their compulsory military services one after another. The band is expected to reconvene as a group later this year.

Hyung-jin Kim, The Associated Press