Novelist behind 'Hope' reveals she is a child sex crime victim, urges Ko Young-wook to show restraint

So Jae-won, the novelist behind the film "Hope," has called on former singer Ko Young-wook to show restraint, disclosing once again that she herself is a survivor of child sexual abuse.

On Monday, So posted a lengthy message on Instagram, writing that she wanted to share a painful chapter of her past in hopes of persuading Ko to reflect on his behavior. "Despite sharp rebukes, Ko Young-wook remains unmoved," she wrote. "I now want to bring up my own past — something I find almost too difficult to put into words — in an effort to reach him."

So said she had for the first time publicly confessed her experience as a child sex crime victim through her writing. "I wanted people to understand why I wrote 'Hope' and why I have called for severe punishment for sex crimes," she said.

Released in 2013, "Hope" is a film based on So's novel that follows a child sex crime survivor and her family as they work to heal and reclaim their daily lives.

So acknowledged that Ko would likely argue he had served his legal punishment, committed no crimes since his release and faithfully complied with his probation requirements. But she said that was not the end of the matter. "He has served his sentence and his freedom is guaranteed," she wrote. "But society's judgment is still ongoing."

She then urged Ko to redirect his energy, suggesting that if he truly craved connection with others, he should post photos of himself picking up cigarette butts and filling garbage bags rather than commenting on celebrities. "Instead of criticizing or evaluating others, post a letter of reflection in which you look back on yourself," she said. The remarks appeared to target Ko's recent string of social media posts mentioning figures in the entertainment industry.

So said such efforts would not bring comfort or forgiveness to victims, but added that they would at least reduce the chances of victims unexpectedly encountering his posts through news coverage.

"I spoke to him sharply before, but he did not listen — so now I want to appeal to him," she wrote, closing the post. "I beg of you: please show a little restraint and take even a brief moment to look back on yourself."

Meanwhile, Ko opened a TikTok account on Sunday, but it was removed the following day, Monday. TikTok Korea said the removal was in line with its community guidelines, which call for the permanent suspension of any account — along with other accounts linked to the same user — when it is confirmed that the account holder has committed sex crimes against minors. Ko's Instagram account and YouTube channel had previously been shut down under the respective platforms' policies.

Ko was indicted on charges of sexually assaulting or molesting minors at his officetel and in his car between July 2010 and December 2012. A court of first instance sentenced him to five years in prison, but an appeals court reduced the term to two years and six months after acquitting him on some counts. The Supreme Court upheld the reduced sentence in December 2013. He was also ordered to have his personal information disclosed and registered for five years and to wear an electronic monitoring anklet for three years.

Ko was released from Anyang Prison in July 2015 after serving his full term. The electronic monitoring ended in July 2018, and the personal information disclosure requirement expired in July 2020.