Man sentenced to prison for stalking teenage singer

A, a man in his 60s, was given a suspended prison sentence for stalking singer Oh Yu-jin and repeatedly calling her grandmother. Oh Yu-jin gained fame after finishing in third place in the popular show “Miss Trot 3.”

On the 30th of the previous month, A was sentenced by Kim Do-hyung, a senior judge at the Jinju Branch Criminal Chamber 3 of the Changwon District Court, to eight months in prison and two years of probation. Additionally, a 40-hour stalking prevention lecture was ordered and a restriction was placed on the victim.

Last year, from May to November, A relentlessly stalked Oh Yu-jin, persistently asserting that she was his daughter. He went as far as to visit her school and repeatedly contact her grandmother. A also resorted to damaging Oh’s reputation by posting 50 to 60 comments on YouTube, such as “Where are Oh Yu-jin’s biological parents?”, in an attempt to spread false information about being her biological father.

On the current episode of SBS’s program ‘Curious Stories Y’, A made a bizarre statement claiming, “Oh Yu-jin resembles me in terms of appearance, hand shape, teeth, bone structure, and singing style. I am convinced that she is my daughter.”

When asked about his visit to the school, he explained, “I wanted to observe from a distance to see just how much she resembled me.”He then went on to share, “I called out her name and she responded. As she walked by, I couldn’t help but cry. It was surreal to see someone who looked so much like me.”

Chief Judge Kim Do-hyung explained the rationale behind the sentence, stating that the accused claimed the victim to be his daughter without sufficient evidence, and that the court did not believe his argument that he did not intend to defame her.

Additionally, he highlighted that “A did not take time to contemplate his misdeeds and that the victim endured emotional distress as a result of his requests for a genetic test.”

Before this, the prosecution had requested a one-year sentence and a requirement for A to undergo a stalking treatment program, taking into account the multiple offenses committed against the young victim and the emotional distress inflicted upon her and her family.

In light of the fact that A repeatedly contacted Oh Yu-jin’s grandmother, causing distress and fear to her family, there are increasing calls for not only celebrities but also their loved ones to be safeguarded from the threat of stalking.