Court rules late actress was forced into sexual service

The court ruling has acknowledged that the late actress Jang Ja-yeon, who committed suicide in 2009, had been forced by her agent CEO to serve and entertain other VIPs at drinking parties.

The Seoul High Court announced on Sunday that the court delivered judgment in an appellate trial to order Jang’s agent CEO surnamed Kim (45) to “pay compensation of 24 million won (approximately 22,467 U.S. dollars) to the bereaved family” in the compensation suit raised by the bereaved family against Kim. In the first trial, the court hadn`t acknowledged Kim’s allegation of forcing Jang into sexual service due to lack of evidence, but admitted just beating and abuse against Jang and ruled that Kim should pay 7 million won for compensation.

The appeals court said, “Jang was frequently forced to attended at dinners or drinking parties as well as golf outings even in foreign countries such as Thailand and this cannot be seen as performed solely by Jang’s will.” Jang hanged herself in March 2009, having left a note saying, “I was forced and beaten by agent CEO to serve at drinking parties and to sleep with VIPs.” Jang’s bereaved family raised a lawsuit against Kim, claiming, “Kim’s forcing, threatening and beating drove Jang to kill herself.”