Oh man, Kang Ji Hwan is going to cancelled so hard by me if this is all true. Police arrested Kang Ji Hwan this morning at his Seoul apartment for allegations of rape and sexual assault. The incident happened just yesterday on July 9th, with the actor drinking with two women with the acronym A and B who were employees at his agency. After they all got drunk, he allegedly raped A and then sexually assaulted B. Obviously one or both women reported him to the police and the evidence must be there because he was arrested right after rather than the usual “the police are investigating the allegations” dog and pony show.
Kang Ji Hwan reportedly told cops that he doesn’t remember anything because he was so drunk. Ooooooookay, I’m thisclose to being done with K-ent in general, I’m losing the number of actors I like and it sucks to stick around long enough to see their fall from grace. In this case it’s probably time to never see Kang Ji Hwan onscreen again, but there is also the issue of his currently airing cable drama Joseon Survival Tale. The network TV Chosun has decided to immediately cease airing the drama which was scheduled to finish airing until mid-August.
Holy moly. If your not done with K-ent then I’m done. This is so disappointing. Bad news after the other. The system needs fixing.
WTF he was one of my favourite Iam done Who are these guys that think its OK and blame it on alcohol, STOP DRINKING
What about the women who get drunk and are totally intoxicated and yet sleep over at a guy’s home! Shouldn’t they stop drinking! Shouldn’t they try to behave as refined ladies before they put fire beside gas then cry and run to police?! Its amazing how we victimized careless women and ruin a goodman’s life over a well provoked mistake!
A good man’s life????? A well provoked MISTAKE??? I don’t know if you’re delulu or smth but sexually assaulting and raping someone isn’t a mistake. it’s something you chose to do, willingly. It’s because of ppl like you that some rape victims can’t get their justice. Excuse me but this isn’t the 60s. If you still have that kind of mentality, them there’s a problem with you
I didn’t want to believe it when I read the articles, but man this is just disappointing. I am also this close to cancelling him forever.
2019 has ben THE SH*TSTORM of ll things scandalous, filthy, unsavory and heartbreaking in the K-ent world. And it’s only July. I feel like I need to brace myself for anymore than May come.
UGH! I was waiting until it finished to watch Joseon Survival, the concept sounded fun, but now, just, yrch! So, so disappointing when someone you thought was a nice guy turns out to be very much NOT.
Oh my God, I really did like him but No, just NO! Not one but two women are accusing him of rape and assault…if your behavior is that out of control when you are drunk then you should not be drinking and you need to get some sort of help so that is a piss poor excuse. Urghhh! He is cancelled for me.
All the mess that has happened this year and he still did this? What the—
Am not going to pass judgement on him yet. According to police, he was still too drunk to be investigated.
And one of the women, they managed to contact a friend, saying they are trapped in his home but couldn’t call the police? There were two of them, both with cellphones, but none contacted the police until the friend from the outside made the report and police made an arrest.
I am not defending him, but aren’t these women ever learned anything esp with the many news around K-ent lately, women got drunk and found themselves in bed with men. We are adults, we also have responsibility to take care of ourselves. You don’t simply agree to go to a severely drunk man’s house without having some decency to think that you might be in danger of getting assaulted or whatever.
There’s the man to blame for making up an excuse that he was too drunk to remember and there’s the women to blame for putting themselves in that position simply because they refused to learn anything and be responsible of themselves.
Always saw KJH, as an ‘Uncle type’ in the making (he has the face).
Whether he’s at fault, wrongly accused on not – no loss, either way, viewing wise.
Agreeing with Alexa … while No means No – women should also take more ownership over their own safety and be more responsible.
About never putting themselves in potentially unsafe situations, esp when drinking.
Dramas and Movies like to glamorise getting pissd-runk in public a lot and having the hero sail in to save the day with a piggback home, But really unless in the company of known trusted friends,in a safe space … is that really such a great idea?
The fact that you two believe it is the responsibility of the women to not put themselves in ‘danger’ is the problem. Men should not sexually assault women no matter the situation is. Why is that so hard to understand? No situation, attire or anything at all justifies sexual assault. Being too drunk to investigate is far too convenient. He is cancelled for thinking this kind of reasoning was acceptable to begin with.
I don’t think they mean the women should be held responsible but it is always good to be alert and self protective. Its like not walking in dark alleys because we know it COULD be dangerous. Yes the one that is wrong is the perpetrator but we can’t reason with these people so we should also actively protect ourselves that’s all
In normal circumstances, would you have thought that your coworker or friend would assault you if they invited you to drink at their home specially if you’re with someone else. That is why they were unguarded because Kang Ji Hwan is not a stranger to them, he’s someone they work with. I go out with my male coworkers and friends to drink all the time and I’ve always felt safe with them, this 2 ladies probably felt the same, they wouldn’t have thought that this famous guy they work and interact with all the time has this nasty intention. Being drunk is never an excuse, it’s actually a revelation of his true character if he act that way when intoxicated.
Sana is completely right. When people start discussing what women should do or not to protect themselves, it just becomes an excuse to let go men who are the ones doing the wrong thing. Please guys wake up. You are just giving more excuses to oppressors to escape. Do you think women have authority over these situations? What about the women who are assaulted in their own homes? See, I do get your point, one can say that yeah we should stay away from danger but that IS Exactly what gives oppressors the excuse to escape that it’s the woman’s/victims’fault for not being more careful. It is the oppressors that should be blamed for every freaking thing they do consciously or unconsciously not the victims who were put up in that situation. Those women were drunk too and they didn’t play any trick on him. It’s him who started it right. We need to end this narrative asap because it is giving way more freedom and leeway to the oppressor and is putting a lot more burden on the victims than what they have endured. Please as the society try to be empathetic and kind to them rather than finding reasons of how only “They” could’ve avoided it as if it was even in their control. It was the oppressors evilness no matter what situation, clothes or time this took place in.
I think that’s my point. I think it’s always the oppressors fault regardless of the circumstances. And I agree that the victim is never to blame. For example here she probably thought she was safe with him….BUT for me, really because I’m a paranoid person…I would never go to a male co worker home drunk or unescorted…that’s just me. Because if given a choice, I would not do it because I feel unsafe that’s all. I think the world is a scary place and i prefer to trust myself than the honor of so called colleagues and stuff. But that’s just me. I just like to be extra cautious because I believe if better safe than sorry that’s all.
@Maymay I totally get your sentiments but you know mostly people don’t have a choice to avoid such a situation. I just read a comment that explained the drinking culture in Korea. Pouring drinks and asking juniors/subordinates staffs or colleagues to join you for a second round of drinks is very common. Where mostly these junior women can’t refuse because of their jobs. What they can do is to bring along a partner, another women. The girls probably took all safety precautions, as much as they could. Some dramas highlight this too-(where they don’t show drinking as cute) that women usually don’t have a choice if they have to maintain their jobs, their sole earning. So yeah if you are in a workplace where no one forces you to drink and you are not at risk of losing your job for refusing that, then definitely you may have a choice to avoid such circumstances. Not all people do.
@wapz – while it is expected for a junior to pour alcohol to a senior as a drinking culture in Korea, does this imply the junior has to get drunk or even more drunk along with the senior? Why both women got drunk? At least the one pouring drinks should not be drinking too much…. Why drink along?? This does not make any sense at all!
Candycane is clearly not female nor someone someone who understands what disempowerment is. Follow the leader? Social norms are a real thing and cultural codes and conduct if not followed leads to ostracism. Only a privileged white heterosexual male can talk with such arrogance of victim blaming. Your ignorance to what women suffer on a daily basis is shocking. My respect to all females who report their abusers because that is the hardest thing to do.
@Yore – I feel sorry for you that clearly we are born in two different universes. You are a racist and as much white as I have being a hafu I never think I am privileged. I never once blamed the victims, but letting oneself getting so drunk should be held responsible for own actions!! Keeping feeling sorry for being a female won’t get you anywhere in life @kokoro – very well said. Be safe than sorry.
I totally agree with @Alexa. Human being (man and woman alike) cannot get drunk from alcohol to the point of cannot remember a thing within 5 minutes from 10 to 0 (10 equals very alert, 0 means dead). There is a certain degree of feeling high either talking a lot, gesturing a lot, or feeling drowsy. The two women should be able to tell when the man gets to below 5, then just simply open the door and leave. Why continue to stay there? For what?? Is there other hard drugs involved? This does not sound logical at all!!
@candycane – in response to your other comment about pouring drinks, my personal experience with Korean drinking culture is that juniors not only are expected to pour alcohol for seniors, but also expected to down any drinks the senior pours for them (it’s considered rude to refuse unless you’re driving afterwards or something where you can reasonably say ‘no’). A junior staff member can end up smashed drunk in very little time even if they don’t want to drink and only going along with it for their jobs.
You all make it sound like women have a say in anything that happens to them. In these kinds of things especially when it comes to work relationship their is no choice. If you don’t do it you might get kicked out since men have zero respect for weaklings who don’t follow their rules. This applies to other men as well which is why many men also suffer but at least they aren’t at the risk of sexual violence which women always are. I second the comment about men have no right to even touch a woman no matter the situation unless she permits it herself and even after permission she has the right to take it away if it makes her uncomfortable at any point. He is trash if he asked them to come to his place to drink at all.
@Rena – sad to hear that woman has no say in anything including walking out of a dangerous situation. This does not make any sense to me at all! Letting oneself get all drunk in a volunteer situation (yes, going into a man’s house is totally voluntary outside of work hours) imho. But anyways, women should be more aware of the surroundings without losing their minds and bodies for whatever reasons. Don’t get me started with the follow-your-leader game coz I never listen well to orders.
The women took another coworker and that ought to cover for most cases. And, Korea’s drinking culture is insane along with the sunbae-hoobae dynamic. You may not face it in your country but that is not the same for the women in question. And often time victims freeze out of fear and shock when they are assualted. So, why they coukdn’t get out should not be a topic of debate. Also, law enforcement in Korea has a tendency of not helping the victim….don’t you guys remember Burning Sun fiasco…the lady reported it to police and they blamed her instead before it all blew up and Sengri still is a free man….so no, calling a friend, going to a trauma center to have proof of assault and then going to Police ….sounds like the right thing to do here.
@Gem – I think the Burning Sun case has more people in power in the background to cover things up. These two cases are not the same. Don’t be mistaken that I am siding with KJW, I never like his acting nor his dramas. In this case, KJW acts alone so its an easy catch. For all drama watchers here, please watch Search WWW to get a glimpse of how women in this day & age should behave in the workforce. I don’t see any nonsense K-culture being delivered in this drama besides some political corruption and all the working ladies are intelligent & in control.
Disagree with @Gem – I believe “why they couldn’t get out” should be the biggest topic to be discussed and to be prevented. I hope all girls should first be taught how to avoid dangerous situations. Instead of dealing with damage control. Otherwise cases like this will happen again and again if women are so vulnerable in SK or any other countries where women are viewed as the weaker group. This is my opinion and I am not siding with anyone in this particular case.
@Candycane Thanks for your understanding.
It’s obvious we are too caught up with this endless sentiments of feeling sorry for being a woman, the weaker gender, having no say in situations because we are women and weak. How long are we supposed to feel sorry because of the same reason? Are we to be perceived as weak just because we bend to the needs to protect ourselves, because we are too consumed with the idea that women should not be treated that way by the opposite gender. Taking care of yourself is also empowering as women.
My point in here is simple that is taking responsibilities. While he is at fault for being a perpetrator, women most of all as adults should have the responsibility to take care of themselves, to not put themselves in unsafe situation. Going over for further drink to a very intoxicated man’s house and then slept over WITHOUT locking the door? How are we supposed to explain that? To me, that is lack of responsibility.
The world is not some bed of roses. It’s been years of debate that women should not feel unsafe, living in constant fear but the world is still the same as it is. Rather than regretting when shit happened like this, they could have taken extra care of themselves even as women, perceived to be the weaker gender.
And please stop assuming that we blame the victims and supporting the rapist just because we are in the opinion that those women, as adults should have been more responsible of themselves in the first place. I blame the rapist for the shit he did but I blame the women for not learning a lesson and lack responsibility.
@candycane I am not saying you are supporting this guy….not at all…but Search WWW doesn’t deal with mid tier employees….they are all near the top of their foodchain so its like comparing Apples to Oranges….these women may not enjoy that privilege….Also many sexual assault cases involve people you have known for a while…people you wouldn’t imagine misbehaving with you….at the end sometimes our instinct about people are wrong….as unfortunate as it is, it happens more often than not…I go on trips with male friends all the time…..I trust them but still you never know
Agree, both parties are to blame for this, they both accountable. Just the general view.
Once I lived with 5 men in company housing. I knew them quite well, they’re nice guy, and I trusted them to cover my back when I was on the job with any of them in a remote place out of nowhere. But never once I accepted their offer to go to club for a drink for job completion celebration, I knew that they often arrived home heavily drunk and if not sometimes they also continue their drinking game at staff house. On a day like that, I made sure to stay inside my room with the door locked.
Better safe than sorry.
LOL there should be a drama caledl “What’s Wrong With K-Celebs?”!
Tsk tsk tsk…
How could he rape drunk woman, they smell,how could he withstand the stench so dirty and gross!
Poor woman what’s wrong with man in Korea (celebs)?
This might be an unpopular opinion, but I highly blame Korea’s drinking culture for a lot of these messes Korea’s entertainers find themselves in. Far too many celebrities have been faced with scandals by drinking to the point where they are shit-faced, lose all control and inhibitions, act like dogs and do things they otherwise wouldn’t do if they were sober. And the awful pressure on surbordinates to agree to drink so they don’t offend their superiors is nauseating. I’m so over this and this drinking culture really has to change. People should be allowed to turn down drinks when they’ve reached their limits. Or turn down social invitations to drink without risking their careers or social reputations. I no longer find drunken K-drama scenes cute, because the consequences of females putting themselves at risk in such situations is huge and dramas tend to normalize and down play said behavior which in reality can have dire consequences. I’m not at all excusing Kang Ji Hwan’s behavior, far from it. But I’m observing a systemic pattern of behavior that puts both parties – the victims and the harraser – at risk; and it needs to be addressed. Perhaps their govt can address this drinking culture, the way they are currently addressing the long working hours culture, and come up with some remedies.
@Adal in a precedent post we discussed about what is for me alcoholism .I don’t understand why being able to drink more than your co worker, friend,…is something to be proud of. No need to say that a drunk person is a danger for herself but also for the others. Recently i read that even 3 glasses of wine per day is considered as a kind of alcoholism. So why a society wich is so severe against drugs , strong painkillers, depression medication ,… don’t do anything about that.
Its a mix of two things 1) the overall drinking culture in Korea but also 2) the overall treatment of women. Korean men are essentially raised to believe that they are more important than women. This is easily seen in the overall treatment of women when a scandal breaks or a crime is committed. The police often try to brush aside or make excuses for attempted rape, spycams, and assault cases in Korea and have a overall bad response to it instead of investigating thoroughly. I am not making excuses for Kang Ji Hwan, he should be punished, but when you see the overall response to these scandals and how habitually they happen in K-ent, it makes you question the overall societal environment.
Are they all idiots ? Can’t they have a normal Relationship with women ? Honestly i don’t mind if he was drunk or not ! Don’t drink to this point and behave. At this rate all my Kdrama past is going to be erased. M MCFLY lend me the time machine !
Well, if this is true, I will have to say goodbye to two of my favorite Dramas. Coffee House and Lie to me.
@IMZADI ,for me Lie to me and Capital scandal . and before that , Sungkyunkwan Scandal, Prosecutor princess, I miss you, Rooftop prince,…
If this allegation turns out to be true, then I am glad that these two women are so brave to come forward the very next day to report it and that hopefully there’s still lots of evidence present to back them up. It must be hard to report a celebrity and a colleague from their own company at that, so I wish them a lot of strength and hope the truth will be fully revealed and justice will be served.
As for KJW….sigh, I’ve been cursing so much this year, I don’t feel shocked or upset anymore reading such news, just tired. Why are there so many predatory men out there? I just don’t get it.
I was watching a K-variety show wherein some idol said he’d never been blackout drunk. Everyone was shocked (because blacking out wasn’t rare for most) and this is when I fully realized that the drinking culture in Korea really is as crazytown as seen on the dramas.
I hope law enforcement manages to figure the allegations out.
Agree with statement that “drinking culture in Korea” presents as the complex issue in these cases. It has been proven that as soon as alcohol enters the blood stream, one’s personal inhibitions are LOWERED. Alcohol will make a person feel more relaxed and outgoing, but it will also make people do REALLY stupid things. The brain is not going to make the best decisions when it is being influenced by alcohol. In my opinion, both the adult men and women have equal responsibility when this much alcohol is consumed.
This scenario doesn’t make sense!
rape 1 woman is a big feat. Can a man especially if he was very drunk, rape 1 woman and then assault another?
Something wasn’t right here!
@ Jane…
Preach girl….
I don’t understand how if KJW was so drunk that he blackouts, and if that’s the case, where did he get the energy and strength to assault a woman, let alone rape another one?
When you are really intoxicated, not only are you uncoordinated, but you cannot even get it up!!!! You are most likely the one to be taken advantage of because you don’t have all your senses and you can barely walk or talk.
So unless KJW is lying about being drunk, something does not add up.
Still make sense if the evidence is valid with the victims statement
Saying that women should be wary and avoid getting into dangerous situations is different from absolving the rapist of blame. Of course one can be naive and assume that all men would abide by the no is no principle. Others simply prefer to be more careful so that they dont turn into a crime stat.
It is not naive it is obvious that people should abide by the No is No rule. The fact that we think people won’t abide by it and blame the victim for being foolish enough to believe they would is the main issue. That is how poorly society views the rights of women.
Its simple common sense that there will be people who wont abide by no is no, otherwise sexual assault laws can be scrapped.
While campaigning for better woman rights, we can also lower our chances of becoming a victim by avoiding potentially dangerous situations.
The drama has to be stopped cause of him .poor the other actors who work hard
Relax, guys…. innocent until proven guilty.
If there are valid evidences, then he’ll go to jail.
Stop with the narrative that celebs/rich people can buy the law enforcement.
True allegations also exist, false allegations also exist.
Do not generalize all cases are the same with one case we see.
Both the acusser and the accused deserves to be investigated.
There’s two side of a story.
Ummm…..Seungri says hi….law enforcement being fair after seeing his case in Korea….I highly doubt it.
Yeah,who know?
they even can make this case like never happen. And He will back on tv
Given the innocent till proven guilty assumption, the current practice of exposing the alleged perpetrator right at the start of investigations smacks of vigilantism.
Fortunately KJH is not looking very innocent with his I was too drunk to recall statement. May justice be served for this case.
Oof…Kang ji Hwan was one of those that can act and steal the scene, even with out the flower boy idol face.
He was in a lot of my favorite dramas. Can’t watch it anymore….
Very complex issue in society, Alcohol is celebrated in Korean society. In dramas there are scenes whereby drunken male and female actors stumbling, vomiting and blacking-out are “funny scenes”-wrong message to send. It is understood that almost as soon as alcohol enters the blood stream, it has been proven to lower one’s personal inhibitions; it will make a person feel more relaxed and outgoing, but it also makes people do REALLY stupid things. The brain is not going to make the best decisions when it is being influenced by any type of alcohol. In my opinion, both the adult men and women are equally responsible. Once heard a very famous singer laughingly state he escorted his date to her apartment and then went home. Well, when he woke up, he discovered he had passed out in her home and had never left her apartment. The audience roared. Was this behavior really comical?
I think the lady think that perhaps she will feel safe if she asked her friend accompany her. Which is why there were 2 ladies. As if, you know this guy is sketchy, but you can avoid him because he is your superior. So the only way to make you feel safe is by having someone with you. So you asked your closed female coworker, thinking that her wont do anything since he is outnumbered..but gosh, she is so wrong. He raped the other, while sexually assaulted the other.
Ps. Sorry for my broken english. Thank you
How can he be so stupid? These celebrities never learned.
Heartbreak. Complete and utter heartbreak.
If you are so drunk that you aren’t sane anymore males hardly can have sex because they can’t keep her member errected. That is biology and not a Drama script. So he must have known for sure. I was very shocked but when he did it, he deserves the worst.
These celebrities never learned.
Whoa Korea entertainment is insane right now.
If the allegations are true, this man deserves jail as his new home. But if not those women deserves to go to an asylum for trying to con people.
Waiting for results from investigation. Regardless of results, Korea needs to stop glamorizing drinking. It’s like the soju industry has a shadow over Korea. Overdrinking can bring out the worse in people.
this is most likely how it’s always been, just harder to keep things under wrap now.
I’m actually pretty proud of how Korean society is handling this. Im sure this is happening in other countries that are just as repressed and patriarchal, just the level of comfort of reporting such incidents isnt there yet. Alcohol and drugs arent to blame, its lax accountability, victim blaming and social repression that led to this. Its a testimony of how much Korean society has processed in recognizing woman rights. I’m glad more and more women are feeling comfortable and supported to report.
As disgusted as I am with everything that is happening, stars being arrested left and right, it just means that everything that is festering is being found and corrected. I hope that people are realizing that its fundamentally not acceptable.
I was never on the wagon of opa crazed so this thing never affects me. Just wondering if these entertainers could date openly like American’s entertainers would it lessen all of these sexual scandals.
KJH is not an idol so the Korean public wouldn’t have had a problem with him dating openly. Furthermore he’s a mature man of marriageable age, and an actor, so for him to get into a public relationship or even married would have little impact on his ability to get work or on his career. Look at his contemporaries: Ji Sung, Kang Hyuk, they’re married, but are still able to flourish in their careers. In this instance, I doubt his inability to date. I think that if he is guilty, it speaks volumes about his character.
What kind of stupid manager allows his already intoxicated male star to be escorted home by two equally intoxicated females? It’s a disaster waiting to happen. The guy could become an animal or could black out, do nothing sexual, but still get blackmailed. The actor’s handlers are simply idiots. There are enough scandals going on and times changed – you can’t keep females quiet even with money. Either they will end up throwing up together or sleeping together, which is dangerous for all involved. The actor is on the record for passing out when drank, and they left those three alone in his house?! He should sue his managers for organizing the company dinner and providing so much hard alcohol. If ALL ( women and men) Koreans would start suing their employers and bosses when something goes wrong for making them drink after a tiring day of work instead of sending them home safely, their culture would change. That is why employers don’t do it (work parties with alcohol) any longer in America – they would have been found liable and sued out of business.
Oh I thought he’s gay…
Me too…I also thought he was gay but being gay doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t perform with the opposite gender.
Count me three. I am a woman and thought he is gay.
K ent is jinxed
Under no circumstances a man should assault a woman. The woman can be in his bed , naked and he has to listen if she says no. Everyone (men and women) has the right to change their minds.
I read some of the comments and truly surprised by the content. Going out drinking with a man is not invitation to rape. Women should not be careful about what they wear, what they drink etc. Men need to be careful of their behaviour. There are lots of men who drink and not rape women. Seriously.
I was not a fan of Kang Ji Hwan but liked to watch films, dramas he is in if I like the plot since I think he is a very talented actor. Sadly that does not make you a good person.
I don’t want to give up K-ent but I simply can’t watch whatever these psychos are in (I really want to watch My Golden Life but simply can’t stomach it)
What? Women should not be careful about what they drink? I am surprised. You must not have heard of drinks being laced with drugs and woman/man passes out after one sip! Everyone should be careful about what puts in the mouth, I mean everyone. Seriously we live in a gender natural era now. But some of you still hold one gender having more responsibility than the other. One gender being socially weaker than the other. Why? YOLO. Protect your own self, body and mind. Be responsible. I know I may live in a different part of the world than you, but being too submissive is dumb imho.
*gender neutral
I realise that part of my comment was confusing, I meant it as a response to the people who were saying that women should not go drinking with a man, they should watch out etc. of course everyone should watch what they put into their mouths and of course everyone should be careful etc. The thing I can’t stomach is people implying that if a woman goes drinking with a guy and then is alone with him then she should be aware of the danger, or similar comments like that. Women should be able to go drinking with men without fear of rape. Men should be aware that they should not rape anyone drunk or sober. That is what I meant by that. Sorry for not being clear.
Thanks for clarifying. Yes I agree that responsible drinking is fine as long as one (man or woman) knows when to stop before getting drunk. It is difficult to make good judgment while impaired.
no excuse.. NO means no.. in fact anything but a legal sober YES means no. anyone who thinks otherwise is probably a rapist. And if your smart you will video record the yes.. or get the yes in front of witnesses. You cannot blame the victim.. better to be safe than sorry.. sure sex might feel good.. but how’s htem rape charges working out for you.. and your destroyed life? wake up men.. there is no excuse for ambiguity. anything but a clear legal consent is NO.. or should be a great big NO once you consider what you have to lose. The guy did this to himself.. myself i’d never trust a woman that much.. i’d go for a signed contract with witnesses.