Who Is Jeong Bobby and What Is Going On? Here’s The Summary for BTS Army

⚠️CAUTION⚠️
This article includes depictions of sexual violence. 

I was really looking forward to the BTS comeback on June 10th. However, a song in the upcoming album ‘Proof’ is causing a controversy. 
A song writer called Jeong(Chung) Bobby, who is credited for Jimin’s solo song ‘Filter’, is currently on trial for violence and non-consensual filming. 
I gathered and organized reports in Korea to know what is going on. It’s a very long thread but I hope it helps you understand the sequence. 

[translaters’ note]
In this article, ‘illegal filming’ means ‘non consensual filming’ since we translated the original Korean term directly. 

Jeong Bobby’s Profile and His Works for BTS

Real name: Jeong Dae Wook
Birth: September 25th, 1979

Songwriter, Composer 

1996 Debuted in a band called ‘Unnie’s Hair Saloon’ 

2009~ Joined a band called ‘Autumn Vacation’

2018~ Started to work for Hybe (BTS & TXT)
[BTS]
Love Maze (lyrics)
I’m Fine (lyrics)
Home (lyrics)
Dream Glow (lyrics & composition)
Answer: Love Myself (lyrics & composition)
134340 (lyrics & composition)

The First Report by MBC (November 3rd, 2020)

[단독] 어느 가수지망생의 죽음…유명 가수가 불법 촬영?
MBC ‘An aspiring singer’s death… A famous singer is suspicious of illegal (non consensual) filming’ 

The first report included the actual video. In this article, his name wasn’t revealed.
A: Jeong Bobby
Ms. Song: the victim 

A few months ago, a woman in her 20, who was aspiring to be a singer, was discovered dead with a note saying that ‘There’s a certain person who hurt me’. Her family accused that her ex A, who is a singer and composer, illegally filmed and sexually assaulted her after giving her a drink with a drug in it, has something to do with her death. The police started an investigation, and confiscated the singer’s phone and computer. 

Ms. Song killed herself in April 2020.

Last April, Song, a 27-year-old woman, was discovered dead in her house. She left a note saying ‘There’s a person who hurt me.’

Her father discovered some unexpected texts in her phone. Two months before her suicide, she confessed her friend that A had put a drug in her drink and she later found out that he did a terrible thing to her, and she was ‘losing her mind’ because there was nothing she could do. 

A friend of Song’s: Song said she had a sip of whiskey and passed out foaming at the mouth. And she said she lost her memory and… and found herself lying on a bed naked, and he filmed her. 

In addition, some of her friends said Song was suffering seeing the illegal video that A had sent her. 

The friend of Song’s: She said he had sent her a video. He later delated all the data in his computer and phone after she had claimed him to do so. 

Song’s father made an accusation against A after hearing this story. 

Jeong was accused of sexual assault (and also suspected of using a drug) and illegal (non consensual) filming. This report did not reveal A’s name, however, Autumn Vacation’s concert in November was suddenly canceled on November 5th, which was right after this was reported.

Jeong Bobby’s Counter Argument - He Denied It Completely (November 12th, 2020)

From some photos and their canceling the concert, Jeong was suspected to be the A on the Internet. He made a first reaction to the news on the 12th. He posted his statement on his Instagram and blog. 

가을방학 정바비 “성폭력 고발 내용, 사실 아니다”
Jeong Bobby from Autumn Vacation Says The Sexual Abusing Is Not True (The Chosunilbo / Daily News Korea)

“I was called by police last night and was investigated, and I made it clear that everything she accused of was not true at all.”
“I’m remaining careful now because I’m concerned my action may cause a trouble to her, but I’m sure that all the misunderstandings and lies will be erased and the truth of the case and how much I’m frustrated will be revealed.”
“I ask you to put your judgment on hold until then.’ ‘Also, I accuse media for not checking even a minimally necessary fact’. 

He completely denied all the doubts.

Jeong was sent to Prosecuers Office for illegal filming -There is ‘no enough evidence of rape’ (November 18th, 2020)

"불법촬영 영상 확인"…가수 정바비, 기소의견 검찰로
The Police Check The Illegal Video And Request Prosecuters Office To Prosecute Singer Jeong Bobby 

From the angle of the video and the photos, they seem to be shot without the victim’s consent. Also, it was revealed that Jeong deleted the videos and photos in question from his phone before the police began investigating. As a result of MBC’s covering, it was confirmed that Song strongly requested Jeong to delete the videos soon after she knew they exist. 

Song sent a message to Jeong asking if the videos are automatically saved in anywhere else, and he answered “it wouldn’t happen anyway because my account ran out of storage.”

Mapo Area Police Office, which is in charge of the investigation made a conclusion that they couldn’t find an evidence that he made his (ex) girlfriend pass out, and announced their opinion that this case should not be prosecuted for rape. 

On this decision, Jeong Bobby made a comment on his blog on the same day, November 18th, 2021.

Jeong Bobby, who has been denying all of the doubts so far, did not mention the fact that he filmed illegally, but instead emphasized that police couldn’t find evidence for sexual violence. The main content of his statement is that he is ‘very disappointed with the situation where another part of the case is problematized and it spreads one after another.’ 

Given His Non-Prosecution for Both Suspicion, The Bereaved Family Made An Appeal (Feb 2021)

The case was sent from the police to the prosecutors office, however, he was not prosecuted for both. After this news, Jeong Bobby announced a statement.

‘성폭행 무혐의’ 정바비 “고통스러운 시간 보냈다” 심경 밝혀 | 중앙일보
Not Suspected of Sex Violence, Jeong Bobby Says He Had To Go Through A Hard Time 

Jeong explained in his blog which he posted on the 15th, that he ‘had been cooperating with the investigation as genuinely as he could, and explained how much he was frustrated’. Also, he mentioned that the investigation was done with various information such as their texts on Kakao Talk, and as a result they made the conclusion that he was completely innocent as he had insisted from the beginning. 

According to his statement, he ‘had to go through a tough time’ that he ‘couldn’t even describe how hard it was’ and he emphasized that what he couldn’t forgive is that so many people were hurt by the first unconfirmed information that media reported. In addition, he added that ‘there were too many things that I couldn’t say but I would not write them all here’ and he also wrote he ‘appreciates’ his family, friends, and his fans for being supportive when his heart was torn. 

MBC, the first media which reported this, however, reported more details on how his statement doesn’t make sense. 

[단독] 피해자답지 않아서?.."동의 없었다" 인정에도 무혐의

‘Because She Didn’t Act Victim-Alike’ — Jeong Is Unsuspected Although He Admitted (She) Didn’t Consent’

The singer Jeong admitted in the investigation that his ex-girlfriend, who is dead, never gave him a consensus to film her body. Despite the fact, the prosecutors office accepted his claim that his filming was not illegal. Especially, they made a conclusion that the fact Jeong followed after Song to a bathroom and filmed her from a gap of the door is not illegal, accepting his explanation that he was ‘just fooling’. 

Shin Jin Hee (Lawyer) : 
He didn’t ask for a clear consensus. The fact itself is all illegal. There’s no way ‘just fooling’ can be okay. It is difficult to consider he had her consensus. 

The prosecutors office said there was no way the victim couldn’t notice that he was taking photos since iPhones make a clicking sound when taking photos. They didn’t consider that it is possible to take photos without making any sound by using certain camera apps. 

They did not accept the victim’s claim that she passed out after taking a sip of the drink. They judged the victim she was ‘able to fight against him’ because she ‘seemed to be drunk but was answering properly’. 
Additionally, Song unlocked her phone and they admitted this as an evidence of her being not completely drunk. 

The prosecutors office also considered her ‘not victim-alike’ attitude as a problem. They said they couldn’t confirm any of her action or word were to refuse him, and she kept showing him a favorable attitude. 

Kim Jung Whan (Lawyer) : 
They cannot say her attitude was not like a victim. Each victim’s situation is different, and so are the ways they deal with it. In addition, Song used to be a fan of Jeong’s…

The prosecutors office didn’t admit Song’s friends’ statement that she kept insisting on his crime over and over again. — ‘There is a possibility that their memory was falsified’ they say.

Seo Seung Hee (The Representative of Cyber Sex Crime Coping Center Korea) : 
In this situation where the victim is already dead, it is a huge problem that they overturned the victim’s intention of the confession in such context.

Song’s side made an appeal against the prosecutors office’s non-prosecution claiming that they judged one-sidedly based on Jeong’s claim. 

Re-Investigating And An Accusation from Another Woman —House Arrest for Violence And Illegal Filming (May 2021)

In response to their appeal, the police conducted another investigation. In the process, it turned out that he is also suspected of violence and illegal (non consensual) filming to another woman. 

[단독] '클라우드' 복원해보니…불법 촬영 영상 '줄줄이'
More And More Illegal Videos Discovered Through Data Restoration

In January, Jeong was prosecuted by another woman for filming their sexual scene without her consent. 
This is the second prosecution that was made against him.
The police investigated his house again, and discovered some videos that was filmed illegally. They were all filmed at different locations, on different dates from the last July to the last November. It is said that the victim had no idea they ever existed. 

The police also confirmed that Jeong committed violence to the victim such as punching her in the face, and they took him to the prosecutors office. 
Jeong Bobby, however, insisted all the videos were filmed with consent and denied the illegal action. 

The Case Is Currently on Trial — Jeong Partly Admitted The Violence (January 12, 2022~)

밴드 ‘가을방학’ 정바비, 성관계 등 불법촬영 혐의 불구속 기소 - 조선일보

Jeong Bobby from Autumn Vacation Is Prosecuted for Sexual Crime Such As Illegal Filming 

In Song’s case, Jeong is suspected of illegal filming. In the another woman’s case, he is suspected of both sexual violence and illegal filming.

`불법촬영` 정바비, 혐의 부인...판사 "좋은 곡 많이 만들라" 발언 논란 - 스타투데이

‘Illegal filming’ Jeong Bobby Denies Allegations — ‘Make More Good Songs’ The Judge’s Comment Is Causing A Controversy

According to an article on the first court, he partly denies the doubts.

At the beginning of the court, Jeong Bobby’s lawyer handed in a statement that insists Jeong doesn’t deny the filming itself, but he had the victim’s consent. In the statement, he stated that he only admits that he punched her(the another victim) in the face and pulling her right arm, but denies all the other doubts. 

(By the way, the judge of this court made a comment to Jeong saying that he or she expected Jeong to make more good music, and this caused another controversy.)

The second court was held on March 23rd, 2022. It was not open to public.

[writer’s note]
There has already been a post on the Internet about this case since May 2021.

“방탄 노래를…” 성관계 영상 ‘불법 촬영’ 혐의 정바비가 만든 노래들 | 위키트리

The Songs ‘Filming Sexual Illegal Videos’ Jeong Bobby Has Made for BTS

Related to the Jeong Bobby’s suspension of illegal filming, some netizens insisted that people should not listen to the songs he has participated in. On May 18th, ‘The songs Jeong Bobby has participated in’ was posted on an online community DUCK. This post included the songs Jeong has joined since 2018.

Original article by @honeysoju7

チョン・バビ事件 経過などまとめ - はちみつと焼酎

- はちみつと焼酎 (hatenablog.com)

Translated by @giraffe___4 and @seokjinniesan (Twitter accounts)