Nana home intruder claims financial hardship, unaware it was a celebrity’s house

Singer-actress Nana / Captured from her Instagram

A man in his 30s who broke into the home of singer-actor Nana, formerly of After School, claimed he acted out of financial hardship and did not know the house belonged to a celebrity.

The suspect told investigators, “I did not know it was the home of a celebrity. I was struggling with living expenses,” according to police reports released on Tuesday.

Both Nana and her mother stated they had no prior connection to the man. Police said he was unemployed and had no history of fan activity or contact related to the actress.

“He appears to have been scouting for a location when he found an unlocked door and entered,” a police official said.

The incident occurred at around 6 a.m. on Nov. 15 at Nana’s residence in Acheon-dong, Guri, Gyeonggi Province. The man is accused of climbing to the veranda using a ladder, entering through an unlocked door while armed with a weapon, and assaulting Nana and her mother while demanding money. According to police, he allegedly choked Nana’s mother, causing injuries.

Nana and her mother subdued the intruder through force, restraining him by the arm until police arrived on the scene.

Police applied the charge of attempted robbery with injury, rather than simple attempted robbery, based on medical documents submitted by Nana’s mother. A court issued a warrant for his arrest Sunday, citing a flight risk.

The suspect remains in custody, and police plan to refer the case to prosecutors after further questioning. Authorities said injuries suffered by the man during the struggle are expected to be considered justified self-defense.

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.