The victim who was assaulted after asking singer Jessi for a photo has shared additional statements.
On the October 14 broadcast of JTBC's 'Crime Chief,' the underage fan/victim and his mother spoke out following Jessi's apology.
Earlier, on the October 11 episode of 'Crime Chief,' it was reported that the underage fan had asked Jessi for a photo and was subsequently assaulted. On September 29, the fan allegedly requested a photo with Jessi, who politely declined. However, shortly after, an assailant began attacking the fan.
When the assault occurred, Jessi reportedly left the scene without taking any action. Jessi’s side later issued a statement, saying, "Jessi does not know the assailant. They were not together."
In response, the victim’s mother said, “I saw the apology right away, but it was just full of excuses. Saying, 'They weren't together, and the person just appeared out of nowhere' doesn’t make any sense. My child said they were together. When Jessi stood up, she tried to catch the person (the assailant), but he got away. She then stood by and watched as the assault happened. When she said, ‘I don’t know him, he just suddenly appeared and attacked,’ it made me angry.”
The victim added, "It doesn’t seem like she is genuinely reflecting on the situation, and the use of the term ‘moral responsibility’ in her apology feels insincere."
Furthermore, the victim claimed that before the assault, a producer named "Koala," who has worked with Jessi on multiple occasions, punched him in the stomach. "At first, when Koala approached me, he punched me twice in the stomach, and then he kept pressing his head against mine," the victim stated.
The victim also suggested that Koala is a member of a Korean gang, saying, "When I was with my friends, I heard the word 'gang' being used. His walking and body language didn’t seem normal, so I did some research on Koala, and it looks like he might be part of a Korean gang."
In response, Jessi's legal representative told 'Crime Chief,' "Koala has worked with Jessi on a few music projects, but Jessi is not connected to any gang. We have no knowledge of Koala being affiliated with a gang."
It was revealed that the male assailant who attacked the victim was an acquaintance of Koala.