Singer Kim Gun-mo. Capture from SBS |
By Dong Sun-hwa, Park Si-soo
Award-winning singer Kim Gun-mo, 51, is embroiled in a sexual assault scandal.
Well-known lawyer Kang Yong-suk said on a live YouTube talk show Friday that he had met the alleged victim twice at her request and "evidence (of the alleged offence) is ample."
Kim has vehemently denied the allegation, saying he would take legal action against the lawyer for spreading alleged false information. The lawyer said the alleged victim would file a criminal complaint against the singer on Monday.
With the rumor spiraling out of control, Kim said Saturday his year-end concerts would take place as planned.
"I'm sorry for causing concerns," Kim said on Saturday during a concert in Incheon, west of Seoul, in his first public reaction to the scandal. "I will settle the issue wisely."
According to the lawyer, Kim came to a hostess bar in Gangnam alone wearing a Batman T-Shirt. He ordered soju (a distilled alcoholic beverage) and spent time with the alleged victim, believed to be a hostess, in the room ― just two of them. At one point, the lawyer claimed, the singer forced the woman to give him oral sex and then had sex on the sofa without her consent.
The lawyer did not give further details, including the date of the alleged crime. The lawyer said the woman had contacted him first via email.
"I thoroughly verified if her allegations were trustworthy. To do so, I had to collect ample evidence," the lawyer said during the Friday show.
Mindful of the singer's lawsuit, the lawyer said he would keep the evidence confidential for now.
He added that the alleged victim decided to speak out after watching recent TV programs showing "only the good side" of the singer.
Kim recently made headlines with the surprise announcement that he would marry pianist Jang Ji-yeon, 13 years his junior. The wedding is scheduled for May.