Petition calling for KBS to act on actor linked to Busan officetel death case clears 1,000-signature threshold

A petition filed by the bereaved family of a victim in the 2024 Busan officetel fall death case has cleared the threshold required for an official KBS response, drawing more than 1,000 signatures. The petition, which calls on KBS to take action over an actor it identifies as the perpetrator's sister and who is currently appearing in a KBS daily drama series, has sparked debate online over guilt by association and private retaliation.

As of Friday, the petition — titled "I am the bereaved family of the Busan officetel fall death victim" — had received 1,006 signatures on the KBS viewer petition board.

Under KBS rules, a petition that gathers 1,000 signatures within 30 days of posting obligates KBS to respond within 30 days.

Posted Thursday, the petition identifies its author as the mother of a woman in her 20s who died in the 2024 Busan officetel fall death case. The petitioner claims the perpetrator's sister is playing a significant role in a KBS daily drama series and urged KBS to take action. "My daughter died an unjust death, yet the perpetrator's sister is beloved and thriving as an actor," the petitioner wrote. "Every time I see her, my heart breaks with guilt over not being able to protect my daughter."

The petition set off a heated debate online. Those sympathetic to the family wrote comments such as, "If I were the victim's parent, I would do the same," and "She's not in just any job — she's a celebrity. Having to see her on TV is a tremendous source of pain for the bereaved family."

Many others, however, criticized holding the sister responsible for her brother's actions. "Guilt by association is wrong. Why should the sister bear the consequences of her adult brother's wrongdoing?" one user wrote. Another said, "How is this any different from private retaliation? The family's grief is understandable, but punishment must happen within the bounds of the law."

Some users also raised criticism that the perpetrator had not received an adequate sentence. "My daughter is dead, and the perpetrator got three years and two months — I wouldn't stay quiet either," one user wrote. "Wouldn't anyone want to make him pay somehow? When the official punishment is too lenient, people turn to private retaliation."

The Busan officetel fall death case involves a woman in her 20s, identified only as A, who fell from the ninth floor of an officetel in Busan in January 2024 during an altercation with her ex-boyfriend, identified as B. B had begun relentlessly stalking A after she ended their relationship — showing up at her home and knocking on the door for 17 hours, sending her photos of a suicide note while threatening to kill himself, and hurling a chair in front of her, subjecting her to physical intimidation and fear.

On the day of the incident, B went to A's home out of resentment over her seeing another man, and the two argued. A then jumped from a window and died. B was the sole witness to her death and the person who called emergency services.

B was indicted on charges including aggravated intimidation, intimidation, property destruction, refusal to leave and violation of the Stalking Punishment Act. He received a sentence of three years and six months at trial, which was reduced to three years and two months on appeal and confirmed by the Supreme Court.

The victim's family argued that B's stalking behavior had a direct causal link to her death, but both the first and second courts rejected the claim, saying "a clear connection could not be established."