Jung Hee-won―Seoul’s chief health officer and head of the Slow Aging Research Institute, who has gained mainstream visibility through tvN’s "You Quiz on the Block" and MBC’s "Radio Star"―has formally denied allegations surrounding a personal relationship with a former researcher from a previous workplace, rejecting claims of an affair or any coercion.
In a YouTube community post on Dec. 19, Jung called the other party’s account “pure fiction,” adding, “It was not a relationship formed through power. It was not an affair.” Jung said the truth will be clarified through ongoing legal proceedings and expressed regret over what was described as distorted claims circulating online.
Jung’s side previously stated on Dec. 17 that they plan to file a criminal complaint against the former researcher, identified as A, for alleged violations of Korea’s anti-stalking law and attempted extortion. While acknowledging that the two “briefly interacted on a personal level” from March of last year through June of this year, Jung’s camp claims Jung became a target of repeated approaches and threats.
A’s representatives countered in a Dec. 18 press release that the situation is not a private dispute but “sexual violence rooted in employment and status,” alleging Jung repeatedly made sexual demands by leveraging position and that A’s copyright complaints were miscast as “stalking.”
Jung responded that threats to expose “baseless claims” unless Jung turned over two years of income―including clinical earnings―as a settlement amount to clear extortion.
On the copyright front, Jung’s side says the parties had already agreed to list A as a co-author with a 30% royalty split and that payments were settled. They plan to seek a detailed contribution review in civil court and pursue damages, adding that the book will be pulled from circulation.
With both sides firmly at odds, the facts are expected to be determined through an official investigation and subsequent legal proceedings.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Kyung-youn)