Korean singer Jung Joon-young was released from a prison in South Korea after serving for five years for rape.
Jung Joon-young, now 35, was released from Mokpo Prison in South Jeolla Province in South Korea on March 19, a day earlier than the reported March 20 release.
He was wearing a face mask and hat when he got out of prison.
Korean singer Jung Joon-young upon his release from prison on March 19 (Screenshot from JTBC News video / News1)
Jung Joon-young at his ‘Fiancee’ fan meeting in Manila on Sept. 22, 2018 (Jonathan Hicap)
On Nov. 29, 2019, the Seoul Central District Court sentenced Jung Joon-young to six years in prison and former FT Island member Choi Jong-hoon to five years for raping women.
The two celebrities were found guilty of intoxicating women and raping them in two incidents in Hongcheon, Gangwon Province in January 2016 and Daegu in March 2016.
The court also convicted Jung Joon Young for distributing illegally filmed videos of his sexual acts with women 11 times on KakaoTalk chat rooms in 2015.
On March 21, 2019, Jung Joon-young was arrested by the police for the sex videos of women that he filmed without their consent and uploaded on KakaoTalk chat rooms. The Seoul Central District Court issued the warrant of arrest against him, saying that there was a possibility of destruction of evidence.
After their conviction, Jung Joon-young and Hoi Jong-hoon filed appeals with the Seoul High Court in December 2019 to overturn their sentences.
On May 12, 2020, the Seoul High Court reduced Jung Joon-young’s sentence from six to five years, and Choi Jong-hoon from five to two and a half years.
On Sept. 24, 2020, South Korea’s Supreme Court upheld their jail terms of five years and two-and-a-half years.
The Supreme Court also upheld the decision mandating Jung Joon-young and Choi Jong-hoon to participate for 80 hours in a program for the treatment of sexual violence.
Jung Joon-young was also prohibited for five years and Choi Jong-hoon for three years from being employed in institutions related to children and youth, and welfare facilities for the disabled.
Before the rape case emerged, Jung Joon-young was a regular cast member of the Korean variety show “2 Days & 1 Night.” He held a fan meeting in Manila in September 2018.
Jung Joon-young’s case stemmed from the controversy involving the Burning Sun club in Gangnam, Seoul that started when a man complained in January 2019 that he was assaulted outside the venue.
Choi Jong-hoon was released from prison on Nov. 8, 2021 after serving two and a half years.