Musical actor Nam Kyung-joo referred to prosecutors over sex crime allegations

Musical theater actor Nam Kyung-joo / Courtesy of Universal Pictures

Veteran musical theater actor Nam Kyung-joo is facing charges of sexual assault after police referred his case to prosecutors.

The Seoul Bangbae Police Station announced Wednesday that it referred Nam to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office last month while he remains free pending trial. He is accused of sexually assaulting a woman late last year in Seocho-gu, southern Seoul.

The victim directly reported the incident to the police via the 112 emergency hotline. Nam has denied the charges.

Musical actor Nam Kyung-joo, left, poses during a production of "Chicago" in this file photo. Korea Times file

Following the allegations, Nam deleted his social media accounts and severed ties with his agency.

Nam debuted as a musical actor in the 1980s and has remained a highly influential presence in the Korean musical theater industry. He has starred in major productions including "Guys and Dolls" and "Chicago" and was routinely cast in lead roles until October last year.

Nam has also been known as a major advocate for the arts in Korea. Last October, Nam made a high-profile appearance at a parliamentary audit before the Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee. During the session, he urged institutional support for the theater industry and strongly advocated fostering Korean musicals as a global cultural brand.

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