South Korean actor Jo Min-ki was found dead at a private property in Seoul on Sunday. The 52-year-old was due to be question by the police next week in connection with a series of sexual assault allegations, Yonhap News reported. He was accused of molesting at least eight people.
The police suspect it might be a suicide, according to Yonhap News.
The actor was recently dismissed as a professor at Cheongju University, where he had taught drama for a few years, BBC reported. His alleged victims were reported as being students of the university. The report added that he had initially denied all the allegations but had then apologised. “Everything is my fault, and I am the one to blame,” BBC reported him as having said. “I am deeply sorry to all the victims for the pain I’ve caused, and from here on out, I will not avoid the social and legal consequences of my mistakes.”
#MeToo in South Korea
The allegations against Jo Min-ki are some of many that have come up as part of the #MeToo movement that has swept the country. Men in high positions of power have recently been accused of crimes such as assault and harassment. One of them included Provincial Governor Ahn Hee-jung, who was considered the leading presidential hopeful for the next election. He resigned from his post on March 6 and apologised for his “foolish behaviour”.
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