Former DIA member Somyi receives 18-month prison sentence for false sexual assault accusations against ex-CEO

Former member from the K-pop group Somyi has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for falsely accusing the label’s CEO of sexual assault.

By Hrishita Das

Published on Mar 22, 2024 | 02:39 PM IST | 76.8K

Somyi: courtesy of MKB Entertainment

-Contains sexual assault mention and information-

Somyi, who is a former member of the K-pop group DIA, accused her label’s CEO of sexual misconduct. However, as the evidence surfaced, it turned out that Somyi was lying about the incident entirely. Therefore, the court has ruled in favor of sending her to prison for 1 year and 6 months for falsely accusing the CEO.

Somyi sentenced to 1 year and 6 months in prison for false sexual assault allegations

On March 21, 2024, it was reported that Somyi had been sentenced to 18 months in jail by the Seoul Central District Court's Criminal Division for falsely accusing her agency’s CEO of sexual assault. The artist is a former member of the girl group DIA who turned into a streamer at an adult platform shortly after leaving the agency. Previously, Somyi lodged a complaint with law enforcement against her label's CEO, accusing him of attempting sexual assault in January 2023. However, the case was initially dismissed, but she appealed its dismissal again. This led the police to investigate further and acquire the CCTV footage.

The artist’s statements contradicted what happened in the footage. She was seen having friendly conversations with the accused. Moreover, she was also hugging and maintaining a peaceful relationship, further making her case weaker. The clip also showed her leaving the room alongside the CEO willingly, proving that her accusations held no ground and were falsely thrown at him.

The prosecutors during the sessions argued that Somyi was fabricating the allegations against the CEO. Moreover, they also mentioned that she was doing so in order to influence the CEO’s relationship with his girlfriend. Nevertheless, Somyi continued to stand by her accusations the entire time. However, due to her inconsistent statements, the court arrived at the decision that Somyi was guilty of falsely accusing the CEO of the grave crime.

During the proceedings, the court emphasized that the victim's statements remained consistently aligned with both investigative reports and courtroom testimonies. Conversely, the defendant's statements were noted for their lack of coherence and inconsistency with CCTV footage, thus diminishing their credibility.

The court further explained that pivotal evidence, including surveillance footage and text message exchanges, played a crucial role in exonerating the accused and dismissing the charges. Without such evidence, the legal ramifications could have been significantly more severe. Despite the presence of compelling evidence, the defendant attempted to justify her actions by citing memory lapses attributed to psychiatric medication or alcohol consumption.