On October 16, Jessi visited the Gangnam Police Station in Seoul to be questioned. It is reported that the questioning focused on the identity of the assailant, their relationship with Jessi, and the events surrounding the incident.
Wearing a black hat pulled down low, Jessi told reporters, “I hope they quickly find the person who hit the fan and that they get punished,” and expressed her intent to cooperate fully. When asked if it was her first time seeing the assailant, she replied, “Yes, it was the first time,” and apologized to the victim.
Earlier, JTBC’s “Crime Chief” aired additional CCTV footage of the incident. The footage shows the victim, who asked to take a picture with Jessi, being blocked by Koala, a producer, and the sudden assault by the attacker, captured at close range.
Notably, after the assault, both the attacker and Jessi’s group were seen heading in the same direction. The footage also clearly captured the attacker’s physique, hairstyle, and tattoos on both arms. Regarding this, Hwang Min-gu, the director of the Forensic Video Analysis Institute, stated that the similarity between the man in the video and the attacker is 84%.
The incident occurred on the 29th of last month in Seoul, when a minor fan approached Jessi for a photo, Jessi urgently intervened, apologizing and politely declining the request. However, the victim claims that another man appeared from behind and struck her in the face. Although the CCTV footage shows Jessi attempting to stop the assault, she was later seen leaving the scene, which sparked controversy.
Jessi and her group are currently under investigation after the victim filed charges against them for assault.
Amid growing controversy, Jessi’s agency explained to the victim that the attacker was a “Chinese acquaintance of a producer close to Jessi”.
On October 12, Jessi apologized on Instagram, explaining she had declined the fan’s request politely and that the attacker was someone she had met for the first time that night. She added, “After the incident, my agency and I have been in contact with the victim’s mother, working to ensure the assailant is found quickly, apologizes, and provides compensation, and that the assailant receives appropriate punishment.”
Finally, she urged, “Please refrain from reporting based on one-sided claims or speculation regarding this case.”