The woman who accused actor Park Si-hoo of raping her did not appear drunk on the night the alleged attack took place, according to the owner of a bar where the two drank that night.
Park Si-hoo, a well-known hallyu star, was accused on Monday of allegedly raping a 22-year-old woman.
The woman said she had a drink with the 36-year-old actor last Friday at a bar in Cheongdam-dong, Seoul, and was raped after she passed out from being drunk. The women formally lodged a complaint with the police the same day.
However, the owner of the bar told a local tabloid on Wednesday that the alleged rape victim did not appear to be drunk when she was at the bar.
“I have talked to my employees and checked the CCTV images, and it did not look like she was drunk,” he was quoted as saying. “She was standing on her feet and Park was escorting her just in case she fell down.
He added that the woman walked down a flight of stairs without any trouble.
Police said Park has been summoned for questioning on Feb. 24.
Park issued a public statement Tuesday and admitted that he did have a drink with the woman, but insisted that he did not forcibly have sex with her. He vowed to fully cooperate with the police investigation.
The 36-year-old actor, who built his fame with his role in “Iljimae” and “The Princess’ Man,” is hailed as a promising Korean Wave star. After enjoying a series of successes in TV dramas, Park made his leading actor debut on the silver screen in “Confession of Murder” last year.
By Yoon Min-sik
(minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com)
<관련 한글 기사>
박시후 사건의 진실? CCTV 확인해보니...
배우 박시후 (36) 씨가 연예인 지망생 A(22) 씨에게 성폭행 혐의로 피소 당한 가운데, 그가 A씨와 함께 술을 마신 모습이 포착된 CCTV가 있다는 보도가 나왔다.
서울 서부경찰서는 20일, 박씨와 A씨가 만난 서울 청담동 모 포장마차의 CCTV를 확인했으며 포장마차 주인으로부터 진술을 확보했다고 밝혔다.
경찰은 박씨에게 24일 오전 10시에 경찰에 출석해 조사를 받으라고 통보한 상태이다.
한편 한 연예매체는 20일, 박시후와 A씨 일행이 함께 술을 마셨다는 포장마차의 주인을 인용해, A씨가 만취상태가 아니었다고 보도했다.
이 포장마차 주인은 인터뷰에서 CCTV 화면상으로는 A씨가 만취한 것으로 보이지 않았으며 “혼자 몸을 충분히 가눴다”라고 증언했다. 또한 그는 A씨는 15개에 달하는 계단을 별 탈 없이 홀로 내려갔다고 덧붙였다.
박씨는 지난 15일 A씨와 술을 함께 마신 후 만취 상태의 A씨를 성폭행한 혐의를 받고 있다.
박씨는 이에 관해 19일, "지인의 소개로 만난 A씨와 술자리를 가진 점에 대해서는 인정하지만 서로 남녀로서 호감을 갖고 마음을 나눈 것이지 강제적으로 관계를 가진 것은 결코 아니다"라며 "이 점에 대해서는 결단코 한 점 부끄러움이 없으며 이는 수사과정에서 명명백백히 드러낼 것"이라고 입장을 밝혔다. (코리아헤럴드)
