The leader of world No. 1 b-boy team Jinjo Crew, CEO Kim Heon-jun (41), has been fined for defamation after posting remarks disparaging a team member on the group’s fan site amid fallout from a sexual assault case. He is contesting the decision and has requested a full trial.
The Bucheon branch of the Incheon District Court issued a summary order last October, fining Kim 1 million won for defamation under Korea’s Information and Communications Network Act. Kim objected, and the case is now being heard in a formal trial.
Prosecutors say that after an internal sexual assault incident from February 2022 became public about a year later, Kim, responding to a plea for help from the victim, targeted a male teammate identified as B. On Sept. 13, 2023, he posted KakaoTalk screenshots to the group’s fan site under the title “Releasing Evidence.” The messages included mocking and derogatory language about B, which the court deemed defamatory.
According to the court, Kim had demanded that B draft a statement and apology admitting he tried to dismantle Jinjo Crew and that he persuade Victim A to delete her posts. When B refused, Kim posted to the fan site suggesting A and B were lying in an effort to break up the team.
About this, Kim said, “I wasn’t trying to harm a teammate―I was trying to clarify what had been misrepresented,” adding, “I’m sorry for using real names. I’m following legal procedures and will present my position to the court.”
Victim A, a female member and staffer of Jinjo Crew, reported being sexually assaulted and illegally filmed by C, the crew’s marketing team lead. Because the team was appearing on JTBC’s breakdance survival series “Showdown” at the time, she hesitated to report the incident out of concern for the crew and the broadcast. After suffering severe emotional distress and leaving the team, she filed a criminal complaint in August 2023.
Former member C was indicted on charges of attempted rape of an incapacitated victim and illegal filming. He received a five-year prison sentence in the first trial, which an appellate court reduced to two years and six months in June after he admitted the crimes and deposited 30 million won toward victim restitution.
Meanwhile, in July 2023, Jinjo Crew filed a civil suit seeking more than 500 million won in damages, arguing that shows were canceled and losses incurred after A publicly disclosed the assault on social media.
In July 2025, the 14th Civil Division of the Seoul Eastern District Court dismissed the claim, finding A’s post was not likely false and that the alleged damages weren’t proven. Jinjo Crew did not appeal, making the ruling final.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Kyung-youn)