Singer Choi Jong-hoon appeals gang-rape conviction

Singer Choi Jong-hoon. Yonhap

By Dong Sun-hwa

Choi Jong-hoon, former member of K-pop boy band F.T. Island, lodged an appeal Wednesday after receiving a five-year jail term at his first trial for gang-raping women.

Choi, 29, filed the appeal against the Seoul Central District Court's decision, reports said.

In November, Choi was found guilty of gang-raping women in Daegu, North Gyeongsang Province, in March 2016, along with singer Jung Joon-young.

“The accused (Choi and Jung) appear to have regarded women as a mere tool for sexual pleasure,” Judge Kang Seong-su said in his verdict. “Considering the gravity of their crimes, harsh punishment is inevitable.”

Choi is known to have “sobbed” following the verdict.

Meanwhile, Jung, 30, who was given a six-year prison term on the charges, has not yet appealed.