Joo Byung-jin says trauma of 2000 rape accusation never healed
In short
TV personality Joo Byung-jin said the trauma of a rape accusation made against him in 2000, which ended in an acquittal, still troubles him. In remarks aired on tvN STORY on Oct. 5, he said the wound “never disappears” and “keeps making my life hard until I die,” according to Newsis, Seoul Shinmun and Maeil Business. Maeil Business reported he was arrested over the accusation and acquitted after about two years of trial.
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TV personality and businessman Joo Byung-jin said the trauma of a rape accusation made against him in 2000 has never gone away, speaking on the tvN STORY programme “남겨서 뭐하게”, which aired on Oct. 5. Newsis and Seoul Shinmun headlined the confession, and Maeil Business reported it in detail, quoting him directly. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
According to Maeil Business, Joo was accused by a woman in 2000, arrested, and went through about two years of court proceedings before being acquitted; Seoul Shinmun’s headline described the case as a false accusation from 26 years ago. In the broadcast Joo said that ruining someone’s life out of selfishness is a grave sin, and that the wound in his heart never disappears and “keeps making my life hard until I die”. [ 2 , 3 ]
He also described a night when he went to Hannam Bridge while he was struggling, saw a person standing precariously on the railing, approached quietly and pulled the person down. He said the person broke down crying and was carrying a packet of pills, and that he moved with them to a street stall, advised them not to have a weak heart, and handed them to police. [ 3 ]
Joo had spoken about the same distress before, Maeil Business reported: on MBC’s “황금어장-무릎팍도사” in 2011 he said psychological wounds had interfered with his activities, and that he had decided it was time to shake them off and step back out into public life. [ 3 ]
On the same programme he reflected on his years at the peak of his career as a broadcaster and businessman, saying his biggest regret was that his goal had been to make money, which he called “a very ignorant dream”. He said he felt empty after earning money, had set only a first goal and no next dream, and drifted. [ 3 ]
Why it matters
The remarks bring a 26-year-old case back into public view and show how a cleared accusation has continued to shape the public image of a well-known broadcaster, who had already spoken about the same distress in 2011. The documents report no new legal proceedings, so the significance is mainly in how the case is remembered publicly.
Key facts
- Joo Byung-jin, a television personality and businessman, described lasting trauma from a 2000 rape accusation on the tvN STORY programme “남겨서 뭐하게”. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The episode aired on Oct. 5 and featured Joo meeting fellow broadcaster Lee Kyung-gyu for the first time in 36 years, according to Maeil Business. [ 3 ]
- Joo said the wound in his heart “never disappears” and “keeps making my life hard until I die”. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Maeil Business reported he was accused by a woman in 2000, arrested, tried for about two years and acquitted; Seoul Shinmun’s headline described the case as a false accusation from 26 years ago. [ 2 , 3 ]
- Joo said he went to Hannam Bridge when he was struggling and grabbed and brought down a person standing precariously on the railing, later handing the person to police. [ 3 ]
- He said his biggest regret was that his goal had been to make money, which he called “a very ignorant dream”, adding that he had no next goal and drifted. [ 3 ]
- Joo disclosed similar distress on MBC’s “황금어장-무릎팍도사” in 2011, saying psychological wounds had interfered with his work. [ 3 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Joo Byung-jin publicly described lasting trauma from a rape accusation made against him in 2000. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The case ended without a conviction: Maeil Business reported a not-guilty verdict after about two years of trial, and Seoul Shinmun described the accusation as a false one from 26 years ago. [ 2 , 3 ]
Still unclear
- Details of the 2000 case, including the accuser and the court’s reasoning, are not given in the documents. Only Maeil Business describes the case, briefly, and no court records or other accounts are cited.
- The exact air time of the tvN STORY episode is not stated. Maeil Business says only that the programme aired on Oct. 5.
- The Newsis document’s headline reports the confession, but the article text carried under it concerns a police investigation into hacking at financial companies and does not cover this event. That article text appears to belong to a different story and could not be used for this event.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Joo Byung-jin is accused of rape by a woman and arrested. [ 2 , 3 ]
- Joo speaks on MBC’s “황금어장-무릎팍도사” about psychological wounds that interfered with his work. [ 3 ]
- The tvN STORY programme “남겨서 뭐하게”, featuring Joo and Lee Kyung-gyu, airs. [ 3 ]
- Newsis publishes its report. [ 1 ]
- Seoul Shinmun publishes its report. [ 2 ]
- Maeil Business publishes its detailed report. [ 3 ]