A woman in her 30s who had previously filed a stalking complaint against Jung Hee-won, head of the Slow Aging Research Institute known as a "slow aging" expert, has now filed a counter-lawsuit against him on charges including sexual harassment by abuse of power.
The woman's legal representatives announced on January 21 that they had submitted a complaint against Jung to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency on January 19. The charges include forced indecent acts by abuse of power, false accusation, defamation, and violation of the anti-stalking law.
The woman's side explained that they submitted social media messages and phone recordings as evidence suggesting Jung made sexual demands. They added that even after the case became public, Jung continued to contact the woman, causing her distress.
According to JoongAng Ilbo, Jung sent the woman a novel-style text via KakaoTalk in February that contained detailed descriptions of sexual acts. The woman's representatives claimed the message specifically mentioned her name and included references to particular tools and acts.
"This was not simply erotic fiction but content directly reflecting Jung's extreme sexual preferences, with the victim and Jung set as the characters," the woman's side stated. Reports indicate the complaint also includes evidence that Jung sent long gloves and stockings to the woman's home via delivery.
Regarding the stalking charges, they also claimed that even after the case became public, Jung continued attempting to contact the woman despite her wishes, causing her mental distress.
Jung had previously filed a complaint against the woman, who worked as a "commissioned researcher" at his institute, on charges including attempted extortion and trespassing, alleging she had been stalking him since July.
The woman's representatives characterized the case as "gender-based violence occurring within a power relationship," claiming Jung repeatedly made sexual demands using his position and the woman found it difficult to refuse due to fear of dismissal.
However, Jung posted on YouTube on January 19 refuting the claims, stating, "The other party's allegations are clearly fabricated, and the claim that this was a relationship involving abuse of power is absolutely not true."
