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[Newsmaker] Singer Kim Gun-mo sues woman who filed rape suit

By Park Yuna

Published : Dec. 13, 2019 - 14:53

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Singer Kim Gun-mo, 51, on Friday countersued a woman who accused the singer of sexual assault, denying all allegations made against him.

On the same day, Kim’s agency Guneum announced the cancellation of the singer’s nationwide concert tour that was to take place Dec. 24 to Feb. 29, 2020.

Kim Gun-mo (Yonhap) Kim Gun-mo (Yonhap)

On Monday, the woman, surnamed Kim, sued the singer, claiming he had sexually assaulted her in August 2016 at a bar in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, where she worked.

“Kim Gun-mo does not know the woman and anything about harm done to her,” Guneum said in a statement Friday.

“We have decided to file a suit against the woman for false accusation, because we can no longer ignore the ongoing situation where so many people are taking the lies as the truth.”

“False #MeToo accusations, disguised as the #MeToo movement, should be eradicated and punished,” the statement added.

Accompanied by a lawyer, the CEO of the agency appeared at Seoul Gangnam Police Station on Friday to file the suit.

The CEO said Kim Gun-mo would address the sexual assault allegation separately.

Last week, a YouTube channel operated by lawyer Kang Yong-seok and Kim Sae-eui, a former TV news reporter, posted a video of an interview in which the woman claimed to have been sexually assaulted by the singer. On Monday, Kang filed the suit on behalf of the woman.

Gangnam Police Station said Tuesday it would investigate the sexual assault allegation.

In another video posted by Kang on Friday, he said, “Singer Kim is the one who did wrong, I don’t see the need to mention it (Kim’s suit).”

Kim Min-soo, chief manager at Guneum, told The Korea Kerald, “It is true that Kim Gun-mo visited the bar, but he did not have any sexual relations with a woman because the bar doesn’t allow it. We will fight until Kim is proven innocent.”

Singer Kim has registered his marriage with pianist Jang Ji-yeon. The couple’s wedding ceremony is slated to take place in May. It was initially scheduled for January, but was postponed in November due to venue issues.

By Park Yuna (yunapark@heraldcorp.com)