A Japanese woman in her 50s has been charged with forcibly kissing BTS’ Jin, more than a year after the incident caused public outrage. On November 17, the Seoul Eastern District Prosecutor’s Office announced that the woman had been charged without detention on November 12 for indecent assault.
According to Japan’s TBS News, the woman responded to the accusation by stating: “I’m angry. I never thought kissing someone would be a crime.”
Previously, the woman had been referred to the South Korean prosecutor’s office after the kiss Jin from BTS without consent during a fan event in 2024.
According to Seoul Songpa police, the woman, identified only as “A”, was referred for prosecution on May 8 on charges of indecent assault in a public place under South Korea’s Sexual Violence Punishment Law. Authorities confirmed this she voluntarily returned to Korea and appeared before the police for investigation.
The incident occurred in June 2024 during a fan event called Greetings from Jinwhere approximately 1,000 fans participated in a hugging session with the BTS member. During the event, the woman he suddenly kissed Jin on the cheekleaving him visibly surprised. The moment, captured and widely shared online, sparked an immediate public backlash and calls for legal action.
The next day, a formal complaint was filed through South Korea’s public petition portal, demanding legal consequences for the woman’s behavior. Investigators discovered a post on a Japanese blog in which the author described the kiss in detailincluding statements like “her lips touched his neck” AND “His skin was soft.” This led the police to request the collaboration of Interpol Japan and, after seven months, they successfully identified the suspect.
Although police initially stopped the investigation in March due to the woman residing abroad, they resumed the case once she returned to Korea and voluntarily reported the case.
Meanwhile, another woman (B) is involved in a similar non-consensual act with Jin remains untraceable. His case is currently suspended due to lack of progress.
The case has reignited discussions boundaries of fan events AND the need for stronger protections for public figures in such spaces.
Source: Wikitree, Nate
