[Han Ji-sang's YouTube channel]
[Han Ji-sang's YouTube channel]

Musical actor Han Ji-sang, 44, has been cleared of sexual misconduct allegations that surfaced six years ago.

His agency, Blue Stage, released a copy of a criminal indictment Wednesday, saying it had been "legally and unequivocally confirmed that Han Ji-sang committed no crime in connection with the past allegations."

The indictment shows that the person who accused Han of sexual misconduct, identified only as A, was recently charged with defamation and obstruction of business. According to the document, A repeatedly posted false and defamatory content about Han on social media from November 2020 through September 2024, and also sent emails containing false information to tip lines at major overseas news outlets.

Prosecutors stated in the indictment that Han "had not, in fact, committed any sex crime or been punished for one," and that A, "with the intent to defame the victim, publicly spread false information through online networks, damaging the victim's reputation while also interfering with his work, including performance appearances."

The agency said it was "never acceptable for anyone — simply because they are a public figure — to endure baseless claims and indiscriminate personal attacks," adding that it hoped the case would restore Han's reputation and put an end to the spread of false information and online witch hunts. The agency also said it would respond firmly and without leniency to any future acts of malicious defamation.

Han became embroiled in controversy in 2020 when a female fan, identified as B, accused him of sexual misconduct. Han filed a complaint against B for attempted blackmail and coercion, but prosecutors declined to indict her. Han was also cleared of the sexual misconduct allegation, as no element of coercion was established. Han maintained that he and B had been mutually interested in each other at the time.

With the truth of the matter still unresolved, Han was appointed as a lecturer in the performance arts department at Sungkyunkwan University for the first semester of the 2026 academic year, but the appointment was canceled following objections from students. In March, Han released an audio recording of B in an effort to assert his innocence. In the recording, B said: "He didn't sexually assault me. It wasn't one-sided either. In that moment, at that time, I was fine with it. I was fine with it, and if you were going to take any legal action over this, you wouldn't be able to do anything."

Han made his debut in 2003 in the stage play "Three-Wheeled Bicycle" and went on to appear in musicals including "Grease," "Altar Boyz," "Wandeugi," "Red" and "Jesus Christ Superstar." He also became known to wider audiences through the drama series "Rosy Lovers" and "Haechi."


paq@heraldcorp.com