BTS Jin Trial Delayed Again After Defendant Misses Second Court Date

The BTS Jin Trial over an alleged non-consensual kiss at a fan event was delayed again after the defendant failed to appear for a second court date. The Seoul Eastern District Court opened the second hearing on July 16, 2026, for a Japanese woman in her 50s charged with indecent assault, but postponed proceedings because she was absent.¹

The case centers on an incident at Jin’s free-hug event in Seoul’s Songpa District in June 2024, where the woman is accused of kissing Jin on the cheek without his consent. The same defendant had also failed to appear at the first hearing on July 14, 2026.¹

BTS Jin Trial Delayed After Second Nonappearance

BTS Jin trial delayed after defendant court absence concept

Seoul Eastern District Court’s Criminal Division 9, presided over by Judge Lee Ji-min, handled the July 16 hearing, which was again unable to proceed because the defendant did not attend. Law Times reported the case number as 2025 Godan 3106 and said the first scheduled hearing on July 14 had also been postponed for the same reason.²

The defendant has been identified in reports only by an initial, with outlets using A or M. The available source material describes her as a Japanese woman in her 50s. The charge is indecent assault under South Korean criminal law, arising from the alleged contact at the fan event.²

The July 14 hearing had been set for 11 a.m. but began at around 12:09 p.m. because of an earlier proceeding. When the defendant did not appear, the court ended the session at around 12:43 p.m. and set the next hearing for July 16 at 11 a.m.³ That second date has now also passed without the defendant’s attendance, leaving the trial postponed again.¹

Yonhap News Agency reported that during the July 14 proceeding, Judge Lee said the defendant had submitted a written document by mail, but its meaning was unclear. The judge was quoted as saying, “The defendant submitted a written statement by mail, but I do not know exactly what it means.”⁴

Alleged Incident at 2024 Free-Hug Event

The alleged incident took place on June 13, 2024, at Jamsil Indoor Stadium in Songpa District, Seoul, during a free-hug event for Jin. Sources describe the event as involving 1,000 fans.⁴

The defendant is accused of suddenly kissing Jin on the cheek during that event. Reports describe the alleged act as occurring without Jin’s consent, and prosecutors later brought the case to court as an indecent assault matter.⁵

The event itself followed Jin’s return to public activities after military service, but the court case is focused on the alleged physical contact at the fan event rather than the broader entertainment schedule. The source material does not include Jin’s own statement about the court proceedings or any statement from the defendant explaining her absences from the July 14 and July 16 hearings.

Because the defendant has not appeared for either of the two scheduled court dates, the available record shows no trial examination of the charge on the merits. The proceedings described in the sources concern scheduling, nonappearance, and the court’s inability to move forward on the planned hearing dates.

Investigation and Prosecution Timeline

The case moved from fan complaints to police identification and then prosecution over a period of more than a year. Newsis reported that some fans filed complaints through the National Petition system after the alleged incident, and police worked with Japanese Interpol authorities to identify the woman.⁵

Yonhap reported that police identified the woman through Interpol cooperation and that she later entered South Korea and voluntarily appeared for questioning. Prosecutors indicted her in November 2025.⁴

Newspim reported on November 17, 2025, that the Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors’ Office had indicted the woman without detention on a charge of indecent assault. The outlet also reported that police had previously suspended the investigation, then sent the case to prosecutors in May 2025 after the woman voluntarily entered South Korea and underwent questioning.⁶

Newsis reported in December 2025 that the Seoul Eastern District Court had scheduled trial dates for July 14 and July 16, 2026.⁵ Both of those dates have now passed, and reporting from YTN and Law Times says the July 16 hearing was again delayed because the defendant did not appear.¹²

The available sources do not provide a newly scheduled next hearing date after the July 16 postponement. They also do not state whether the court will take additional procedural steps in response to the repeated absences.

진 기습키스 재판 불출석 Seoul free hug event concept

The BTS Jin Trial remains unresolved after two scheduled hearings were postponed due to the defendant’s nonappearance. Based on the available reports, the case remains centered on the alleged non-consensual kiss at the June 13, 2024 free-hug event and the court’s next procedural step has not yet been reported.