SEOUL, South Korea — Police in South Korea have summoned a Japanese woman for questioning over allegations that she kissed Jin, a member of the K-pop boy band BTS, without his permission at an event last year.
A police official overseeing the case at the Songpa police station in Seoul, the South Korean capital, told NBC News by phone Friday that the woman was being asked to appear for questioning on a sexual harassment allegation “now that we have specified the suspect.”
Police launched the investigation after receiving an online complaint, the official said. He declined to disclose the woman’s name, citing privacy laws, and said he could not provide further details while the investigation was underway.
The incident happened last June as Jin, 32, was celebrating the end of his mandatory 18-month military service, as well as the band’s 11-year anniversary, by offering free hugs to fans at an event in Seoul that was reportedly attended by about 1,000 people.
During the event, the Yonhap news agency reported, a woman in her 50s suddenly kissed Jin on his cheek. The BTS star appeared uncomfortable in video footage that was widely shared online.
“My lips touched his neck. His skin was so soft,” the woman later wrote in a blog post, according to Yonhap.
Yonhap reported that the woman was identified with assistance from the Japanese police and that she had so far refused to appear for questioning.
The seven-member supergroup BTS debuted in 2013 and has since soared to global stardom. Its fans are known as the “BTS Army.”
As the oldest member of BTS, Jin was the first to be discharged from military duty, after its members were allowed to delay their enlistment until age 30. Another member, J-Hope, completed his service in October, while the five remaining members — V, RM, Jimin, Jungkook and Suga — are still serving.
The date for the band’s highly anticipated reunion remains unclear.
Stella Kim reported from Seoul, and Julia Zhong reported from Hong Kong.
