Despite claiming financial hardship, Yoo loses final appeal

Composer and broadcaster Yoo Jae-hwan [Herald DB]
Composer and broadcaster Yoo Jae-hwan [Herald DB]

The Supreme Court has finalized a fine against composer and broadcaster Yoo Jae-hwan, 37, who was indicted on charges of forcible indecency against a woman.

The Supreme Court's Third Division, presided over by Justice Lee Suk-yeon, dismissed Yoo's final appeal Wednesday, according to legal sources. The ruling confirmed the lower court's sentence of a 5 million won ($3,730) fine and a mandatory 40-hour sexual violence treatment program.

Yoo faces charges of groping a woman he met after posting on Instagram in June 2023, offering to compose music for free. He was indicted in April 2025.

The trial court found Yoo guilty in November 2025 and sentenced him to a 5 million won fine, along with the 40-hour treatment program. Both Yoo and prosecutors appealed, with prosecutors seeking a one-year prison term.

At the first hearing of the appeals trial in June, Yoo pleaded financial hardship. "I'm struggling to make ends meet because it has become difficult to find work," he said. "It's even hard to go outside because so many people recognize me."

The appeals court rejected both Yoo's and prosecutors' appeals. "The victim's testimony on key points was consistent from the investigation stage through the trial," the court said, adding that it found "no particular grounds to reduce the sentence."

Yoo also faces separate fraud allegations from clients who say he accepted payment for compositions he never delivered.

In August 2024, 23 clients filed a complaint against Yoo, alleging he received a total of 55 million won in advance payments without completing the commissioned works. Police closed the case without charges in January 2025 after an investigation, but the complainants objected and the prosecution office ordered a supplementary investigation.

Yoo has said he intends to return the money he received from clients. He has, however, continued to deny the forcible indecency charges upheld in this ruling.


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