Jang Kyung-tae says dinner video was 'intentionally filmed for political purposes'

Independent lawmaker Jang Kyung-tae said a video linked to sexual misconduct allegations against him — made public through media last November — was "an intentionally filmed recording for political purposes," and announced plans to hold a press conference to release related materials. On Wednesday, Jang also disclosed chat records with people who were present at the dinner where the alleged misconduct took place.

Jang recently submitted recordings involving Dongdaemun-gu district office officials as evidence to rebut the sexual misconduct allegations, filing them separately with the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office and police, according to reporting compiled Thursday.

At a press conference at the National Assembly's media center on Wednesday, Jang released the chat records of those who attended the dinner where the allegations arose. He is set to hold another press conference Thursday to release materials related to Dongdaemun-gu.

Jang faces charges of making inappropriate physical contact with a staff member of another lawmaker's office, identified as Person A, at a restaurant in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, in October 2024. Person A filed a complaint against Jang last November on charges of quasi-forcible indecent assault.

The controversy grew after a video of the dinner, filmed by Person B — Person A's former partner — was made public. Jang filed a counter-complaint against both Person A and Person B in December last year on charges of false accusation. Person B is said to have worked at the Dongdaemun-gu district office, Jang's constituency.

According to evidence Jang submitted to police, Person B told Dongdaemun-gu district office employees at the time of filming that they recorded the scene "because they spotted Jang Kyung-tae." This contradicts Person B's earlier claims — that they did not know the man in the video was Jang, and that they filmed it out of anger at seeing Person A heavily intoxicated, intending to show it to Person A later.

In a phone call recording Jang submitted to police, a Dongdaemun-gu district office employee identified as Person C said, "I went in and Jang Kyung-tae was there," adding that they filmed him "the same way you'd film a rival if you spotted them walking by — we filmed it because we saw Jang Kyung-tae."

Jang also said Person B reported the alleged incident to the then-district mayor of Dongdaemun-gu and others shortly after it occurred. He said concerns were raised internally at the district office last November that the case could become a liability ahead of the June 3 local elections.

Police have recently launched an investigation into whether the sexual misconduct allegations against Jang constitute a false accusation. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's anti-corruption investigation unit summoned Jang on Saturday and questioned him as the complainant for about nine hours. Investigators are expected to continue questioning other key individuals involved in the case.