Jang Kyung-tae vows to prove innocence after indictment on sexual misconduct charges

Independent lawmaker Jang Kyung-tae strongly pushed back Friday against his indictment on sexual misconduct charges, calling it a "belated, shoddy and liability-dodging indictment by the old prosecutors' office."

In a statement posted to social media that day, Jang said "prosecutors, as expected, have not changed," adding that Jang would "challenge every injustice in court and prove beyond doubt that the accusations are false and that I am innocent."

On the roughly seven months that passed between the case referral and the indictment, Jang said prosecutors "held the case for a long time but did not conduct the essential investigation needed to uncover the truth." Jang also pointed to the failure to verify even the original footage related to the case, saying, "In effect, I was the one who received the tip, investigated and handed over the evidence. This is a shoddy indictment with improperly secured evidence and a liability-dodging indictment that skipped a proper investigation."

Jang also raised questions about a recent meeting with prosecutors. "On Oct. 20, I sincerely responded to an interview requested by the Seoul Southern Public Prosecutors' Office and explained the facts of the case and the evidence one by one," Jang said. "Was that meeting nothing more than a performative formality to give the appearance of following procedure?"

Jang made clear that additional evidence would be submitted during the trial. "The decisive evidence has not yet been made public," Jang said. "I will prove my innocence in court, secure an acquittal without fail, and hold those responsible for this reckless indictment legally accountable to the end."

Jang is accused of sexually assaulting a secretary from another lawmaker's office at a restaurant in Yeouido, Seoul, in October 2024. The Democratic Party of Korea imposed a heavy disciplinary measure equivalent to expulsion on Jang before Jang voluntarily left the party last April.