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| K-pop star Roy Kim arrives at Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency in central Seoul, Wednesday, for questioning about his alleged sharing of sex photos online. Yonhap |
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| Journalists ask Kim questions about his alleged crimes as he enters the police station. Yonhap |
By Jung Min-ho
Georgetown University students are calling on its president John J. DeGioia to suspend fellow student and K-pop star Roy Kim (whose Korean name is Kim Sang-woo) over alleged sexual misconduct.
Georgetown student Finn Thompson started an online petition demanding the president take action. The petition has garnered more than 200 signatures over the past three days.
"Due to the disgusting and illegal nature of these allegations, and given Georgetown's policy of prohibiting and condemning actions of this nature, the university should suspend Kim until he is formally charged, and then expel him if verified," Thompson wrote.
This could spell more trouble for Kim, 25, a senior who is scheduled to graduate next month.
According to the Hoya, Georgetown's student newspaper, Gina Kang, another student and K-pop fan, also believes the school should condemn Kim's alleged misconduct.
"I think that the university does have a responsibility to take a position, even if it (the position) is against the student, and not condone this kind of behavior," Hoya quoted Kang as saying. "They should not get any more special treatment or (the allegations) not be addressed just because they are celebrities or wealthy."
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| The Hoya, an independent student newspaper at Georgetown University / Screengrab of the Hoya's website |
Kim is being investigated in Korea on suspicion of sharing sexually explicit photos of women without their consent in a Kakao Talk chatroom.
Jung, a singer and Kim's close friend, was one of the people in the chatroom. He has already been arrested on similar charges.
Kim started his singing career in 2012 by winning the TV talent show "Superstar K4." During the show, he developed a friendship with Jung, who finished third.
Grant Olson, director of the Student Advocacy Office of the Georgetown University Student Association, said the location of the alleged crimes did not matter in university disciplinary processes as long as the student was affiliated with the school.
"The second you sign to become a Georgetown student, the code of conduct follows you everywhere," Olson said.
"Most of the time it is a very individualized thing based on what the university thinks it has to do with a specific individual."
The Georgetown Code of Student Conduct says the school recognizes sexual harassment and cyberbullying as significant infractions, but it does not specifically outline consequences for distributing sexual photos of women without consent.
University spokesman Matt Hill said Georgetown "is committed to making sure that reported cases of sexual misconduct are investigated and responded to promptly and thoroughly."
Georgetown is the oldest Catholic and Jesuit-affiliated institution of higher education in the United States.
"As a Catholic and Jesuit University, Georgetown stands for the human dignity and worth of every person," the school says on its website. "It believes, therefore, in values that foster the human respect needed for people to live, work, study and recreate together as a community.
"Acting against these values diminishes the understanding of community. Such action, because of the injury it does to the community, is taken seriously here at Georgetown, and is handled fairly yet firmly."
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