A woman has been handed a suspended prison sentence in South Korea after being found guilty of stalking K-pop superstar Jungkook, a member of the globally renowned group BTS. The Brazilian national was sentenced to one year in prison, suspended for two years, for repeatedly visiting the singer's residence in Seoul and violating anti-stalking laws, according to reports from The Korea Times.
The court heard that the woman engaged in persistent stalking behaviour between 7 and 28 December last year. This included at least 22 separate visits to Jungkook's home in Seoul's Yongsan District. During one particularly alarming incident on 7 December, she reportedly loitered around the property, threw items over a wall, and pushed letters through gaps in the door. Days later, she returned and rang the doorbell an astonishing 133 times.
Prosecutors detailed how the stalking escalated, with the woman allegedly entering the residential property through an open side gate on 13 December. She was arrested that day for trespassing and subsequently released with a stern warning not to approach the singer or his home. However, court records indicate she ignored this warning, continuing her attempts to contact him. Police later issued an emergency protective order, prohibiting her from coming within 100 metres of Jungkook or his residence, an order she also reportedly violated.
Judge Park Ji-won of the Seoul Western District Court stated that the defendant's actions demonstrated an "extreme level of obsession," as reported by Law Talk News. Despite the victim, Jungkook, expressing a "strong desire for severe punishment," the court opted for a suspended sentence. Mitigating factors considered included the judge's assessment that there was "no intent to cause harm" and that the woman had not entered the singer's private living quarters. She had also spent approximately three months in detention during legal proceedings, and the likelihood of reoffending was deemed low.
Another significant factor in the decision for a suspended sentence was the expectation that the woman will likely be deported from South Korea once the court's ruling becomes final. This case highlights the ongoing issue of 'sasaeng' behaviour – obsessive fans – which remains a persistent problem within the K-pop industry, often leading to severe intrusions into the private lives of celebrities.