North Korean defector-author accused of raping female defector

A screen capture from “Straight” from MBC Courtesy of MBC

By Park Ji-won

Jang Jin-sung, a famous North Korean defector and author, was accused of rape by a female defector. She claimed that Jang, widely known for his award-winning book “Dear Leader: My Escape from North Korea,” raped her four times in 2016 and made her perform sexual favors for the rich over the last five years.

Jang denied the allegations through statements issued on social media.

On the 118th episode of MBC's “Straight” released Sunday, Seung Sul-hyang, the female defector, said that “Jang asked me to have sex with him, threatening me with my naked photos … Whenever he wanted to have sex, (he) contacted me. He was like a beast … I wanted to kill myself.”

Jang, the publisher of “New Focus,” an online newspaper for North Korean defectors, defected to the South in 2004. He is known to have graduated from Kim Il-sung University, the top university in North Korea, and served as an officer at the United Front Department, which is in charge of affairs related to the South. Since arriving in Seoul, he has been actively working as a political commentator and poet.

She claimed that Jang sold her to a rich person surnamed Jeon whose father is chairman of a private school foundation and she ended up being raped by Jeon. Speaking about the aftermath of the situation, she said, “I did as I was taught to do things in North Korea, thinking 'Okay, well, let's try to get along,' meeting with him for around a month like he was my boyfriend.” But photos were taken of her naked without her knowledge when she was drunk on the first day they met.

“I didn't realize that it was rape … Jang, who received the photos from Jeon, threatened me, saying that he would upload the photos on the website of my university.”

But Jang, after the episode aired, accused her of lying and said MBC didn't check the facts, pledging to file a suit against the relevant people and MBC.

Stressing that the episode is false and defamatory, Jang wrote that “I didn't respond to MBC's request for comment as Seung and her boyfriend, who is behind this false accusation against me, because it was not worth it … She is making false accusations against me to justify her claims … I am ready to take legal action.”

After Jang's response, MBC reportedly said Monday that “As Jang said, he refused our requests for comment … We raised an allegation that Jang raped Seung four times by blackmailing her with her naked photos and forced her to have sex with other rich men … Jang didn't explain the allegation. If he wants to talk about the rape and sexual favors, which are key to the issue, we will guarantee that we will reflect his stance in an upcoming episode.”