Police will conduct a thorough probe into Park Yoo-chun, the scandal-ridden member of popular K-pop boy band JYJ, over the latest sexual assault allegations raised against him, its chief said Tuesday.
The 30-year-old singer-actor has been embroiled in a scandal as four different women filed complaints against Park in recent weeks, claiming they were raped by him, with the first case dating back to 2014 and the latest allegedly taking place this June.
On Monday, Park also lodged a false accusation complaint against the first woman who alleged she was raped by him. The woman, whose identity was withheld, dropped the case last week, saying "there was no coercion."
"(The case) has gained national attention and unlike other ones, it is overlapped with (different charges including) sexual assault, accusation and its withdrawal, false accusation and blackmail," said Kang Sin-myeong, the National Police Agency Commissioner-General. "Especially as celebrities hold a status equivalent to that of public figures, we will inform the public (of our findings) after a rigorous investigation."
The remarks were made a few days after Park pledged to end his entertainment activities if the allegations are proved to be true. He is also known to be considering taking legal action against the three other women for what he claims are false accusations.
Kang said there is a need for a comprehensive and full-scale investigation so as to figure out whether there were other irregularities involved.
Police formed a special task force team comprised of 12 police officers to investigate the details of the incidents.
Park is currently serving his military duty as a public agent at a local district office in Seoul. (Yonhap)