First hearing for B.A.P Himchan on charges of forced harassment of a foreigner at a bar will be held in December
Himchan, a former member of the idol group B.A.P, will be in court again on charges of forced harassment. The first hearing will also begin in December.
According to legal circles, the Seoul Western District Court will hold the first hearing for Himchan on charges of a forced indecent act on December 14th.
Earlier, the Seoul Western District Prosecutors’ Office indicted Himchan without detention on charges of forced harassment. According to the prosecution, Himchan is suspected of forcibly molesting two women at a bar in Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul on April 17th. The victims claimed that Himchan wrapped their waists and touched their chests, and one of them is reportedly a foreigner.
Himchan was indicted on charges of forcibly molesting a woman in her 20s who accompanied him at a pension in Namyangju, Gyeonggi in July 2018. The first trial in February 2021 sentenced Himchan to 10 months in prison and ordered him to receive a 40-hour sexual assault treatment program. However, the court said, “We will give him a chance to make an effort to be forgiven”, and did not put him under court custody.
At that time, Himchan submitted an appeal and denied his charges, saying “Both of us had feelings for each other and it was a consensual act”. However, he eventually admitted to the charges of forced harassment in the second trial.
At the trial at that time, Himchan changed his position and said he “acknowledged all parts” of his charges. In response, the court asked again, “You want to withdraw all the previous pleads of being innocent and admit to all the charges?”, he replied, “Yes”. In addition, Himchan submitted a letter of apology through his lawyer and said he needed two months to go through the deposit process.
The court then said, “First of all, he has acknowledged the charges, confessed, and reflected on himself. Next, we want you to show us how you help the victim recover”, adding “He was sentenced to prison in the first trial, and if the appeal is dismissed, he will be arrested in court. Significant changes are needed. Only when the deposit is made will we have room to think about it.”
The case is still underway with a trial scheduled for November 14th.
Himchan caused a stir as he got caught drunk driving on October 26th, 2020. He crashed into a guard rail while driving under the influence of alcohol near Hakdong Intersection in Gangnam, Seoul. At that time, his blood alcohol level was reported to be at the level of getting a driver’s license revocation.
Source: nate
