Probe of Actress Suicide Resumes

By Park Si-soo
Staff Reporter

Kim Sung-hoon, head of the late actress Jang Ja-yeon's former management agency, was extradited to Seoul Friday, 10 days after he was arrested in a hotel in Tokyo.

Kim has been suspected of forcing Jang and other up-and-coming actresses to provide "sexual services" to showbiz and media heavyweights in exchange for their media exposure.

Jang committed suicide in March. Kim had been hiding in Japan since December, defying repeated requests to return to Seoul for questioning.

He will face charges of threatening and coercing the late actress to provide such favors, police said, adding that an arrest warrant will be sought for him by Sunday.

Kim landed at Incheon International Airport around noon. Clad in a hat, dark sunglasses and a mask, the 42-year-old refused to answer journalists' questions over whether he admits to the charges against him and feels responsible for the actress's suicide.

Police have said they will resume an investigation into the figures implicated in the scandal once he arrives here. Police had to inconclusively wrap up the first round of investigation in April, as they had difficulty confirming the allegations without questioning him.

The actress hung herself in her home in Bundang, south of Seoul, in March, leaving a note containing the names of figures to whom she was allegedly forced to provide sexual favors.

Following her death, police launched a large-scale investigation, pledging to discover who had received such "favors" from the actress regardless of their social position.

Police concluded their primary investigation in April, booking nine people out of 20 who were questioned, but failed to identify to whom the late actress was forced to provide sexual intercourse.

None of the corporate figures and media executives suspected of having sex with the late Jang have been booked.
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Kim Sung-hoon, head of the late actress Jang Ja-yeon's former management agency, is taken into Bundang Police Station by police officers. He is one of several key suspects believed to be able to confirm the reasons for her suicide.
/ Korea Times Photo
by Kim Joo-sung