Musical actor Nam Gyeong-ju sent apology letter to alleged victim, lawyer says

As the rape trial of musical actor Nam Gyeong-ju, 62, is set to proceed as a citizen participation trial in November, the alleged victim's legal team disclosed in court Wednesday that Nam had sent her a message expressing an apology.

Criminal Agreement Division 29 of the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-gu, presided over by Chief Judge Eom Gi-pyo, held the first pretrial hearing Wednesday morning in the case against Nam, who faces charges of sexual intercourse with a person under his supervision. Nam was not required to appear and did not attend.

The case was originally assigned to a single-judge panel at the Seoul Central District Court, but the court reassigned it to a three-judge panel after determining the matter warranted collegial review given its significance and the complexity of the issues involved. Such reassignment is a procedural mechanism allowing courts to transfer cases from a single judge to a three-judge bench when the gravity or legal complexity of a case calls for it.

The court agreed Wednesday to grant Nam's request for a citizen participation trial, overriding objections from the victim's side.

The court said it would install a screen to prevent the victim from coming face to face with the defendant, adding that Nam could be asked to leave the courtroom if the victim found his presence too distressing.

The citizen participation trial is scheduled to run over two days, Nov. 27 and Nov. 30.

The court said it plans to conduct documentary evidence examination and hear witnesses requested by Nam's side on the first day, and to examine the victim as a witness, hold closing arguments and deliver a verdict on the second day.

The victim's legal representative also disclosed in court Wednesday that Nam had personally conveyed an apology to the victim.

According to Star News, the victim's attorney said Nam had sent her a KakaoTalk message containing an apology. "He said he could not send it by email, so he sent a letter of apology as an attachment via KakaoTalk," the attorney said. "This amounts to an acknowledgment of the criminal facts in this case, and we will submit it as evidence."

Nam is accused of raping his student, identified only as A, at a location in Seocho-gu, Seoul, in December last year.

A reported the incident to police immediately afterward. Nam denied the charges during the police investigation, but police concluded the allegations were credible and referred the case to prosecutors. Nam's side also requested a criminal mediation process through prosecutors in an attempt to reach a settlement, but the effort fell through after the victim refused.

Nam made his debut in 1982 and is considered one of South Korea's first-generation musical actors, having built his reputation over decades on stage. The rape allegations led him to suspend all activities after his last performance in the musical "The Show! Silla — Gyeongju" in October last year. He was also removed from his position as an associate professor in the musical theater program at Hongik University in March.