Full Story of Korean Actress Sexually Assaulted 40 Times in 3 Months

A shocking case from 2009 has resurfaced, drawing public outrage after KBS 2TV’s Smoking Gun unveiled the tragic and horrifying story of two sisters—Yang So-ra and Yang So-jeong—who both died by suicide after suffering repeated sexual assaults while working in the Korean entertainment industry. The case has now become a grim symbol of systemic abuse and institutional failure.

A Promising Student Turned Victim

Yang So-ra, a diligent graduate student, ended her life by jumping from the 18th floor of her apartment on August 28, 2009. According to her grieving family, So-ra had been a quiet, hard-working individual until she began working as a drama extra—an opportunity suggested by her younger sister, So-jeong.

Initially, both sisters worked without issue. But after So-jeong left the industry, So-ra’s demeanor changed drastically. She became withdrawn, violent, and depressed. Her family discovered deeply disturbing notes in her room that read, “I want to die,” and “Drowning is the answer.”

What seemed like an unexplained suicide unraveled into a disturbing tale of predatory behavior, abuse of power, and failed justice.

Assaulted by 12 Men, Abandoned by the System

During psychiatric treatment, So-ra confessed she had been repeatedly raped by 12 men, including three “team leaders” (banjangs)—crew members who held authority on filming sets. One manager allegedly got her drunk at a company dinner, took her to a video room, and assaulted her. Others held her captive for three days, confiscating her phone and cutting her off from the outside world.

KBS’s Smoking Gun further revealed that over just three months, So-ra was sexually assaulted nearly 40 times. She was frequently attacked while on location, dragged into cars and remote lodgings, and even harassed during breaks on set. One team leader reportedly assaulted her six times within two months.

Despite the horrific ordeal, So-ra gathered the courage to report the crimes to police, accusing four men of rape and eight others of harassment. She even provided written notes and voice recordings as evidence. However, the response from authorities was nothing short of disgraceful.

Police Response: “Forget It and Adapt to Society”

Instead of support, So-ra faced indifference and humiliation. Police officers told her to “forget it and adapt to society.” One investigator dismissed her as “just an adult,” claiming nothing could be done. Even more appalling, So-ra was forced to sit in a room with her assailant and recount the attack in detail. She was ordered to draw the shape of the perpetrator’s genitals—a deeply dehumanizing and retraumatizing experience.

After enduring two years of re-victimization by the justice system, Yang So-ra withdrew her complaint. The emotional toll proved overwhelming. Three years after her initial report, she took her own life.

Just six days after So-ra’s death, her younger sister So-jeong also died by suicide, reportedly devastated by guilt for introducing her sister to the industry. Their father passed away soon after from a brain hemorrhage, overwhelmed by grief.

A Mother’s Fight for Truth and Justice

The girls’ mother, who has fought tirelessly for the truth to come out, blames the police as much as the perpetrators.

“Not everyone who is raped dies. What killed my daughters was the police.”

She believes So-ra’s life could have been saved if investigators had taken the case seriously from the start. Despite her appeals and the evidence she submitted, justice was never served. The perpetrators walked free, and to this day, none have faced criminal punishment.

Legal experts who reviewed the case during the KBS broadcast called the investigation “horrific,” “unacceptable,” and a “complete failure of institutional responsibility.”

The Yang So-ra sexual abuse case has since become a powerful symbol of the dark underbelly of South Korea’s entertainment industry—where power dynamics often go unchecked, and young women remain vulnerable. It also exposes the crucial flaws in the justice system, where victims are often re-traumatized rather than protected.