Former TV presenter Kim Na-jung, currently under investigation for alleged drug use overseas, has claimed she was forcibly administered drugs while in the Philippines.
A report by The Korea Times quoted the statement from the lawyer of the accused celebrity, Kim Yeon-ki of HMP Law, saying, “I am sorry for causing concern. This statement reflects my lawyer’s position, and I will fully cooperate with the investigation.”
The statement detailed Kim’s visit to the Philippines, where she claims to have met a businessman who promised to assist with her business endeavors and denied allegations of “sponsorship” arrangements.
According to her lawyer, Kim was allegedly forced to inhale drugs by a man, with evidence that her hands were tied and her eyes were blindfolded as captured in a video.
Her counsel described the person who forced her as a “fugitive wanted for multiple crimes who cannot return to Korea” and who has “threatened to kill Kim and those around her if she revealed his identity”.
The lawyer stressed that Kim’s drug use was neither voluntary nor habitual, as it only occured once.
“She has never used drugs multiple times, as some speculate, and there was no reason for her to do so in a country like the Philippines, where drug penalties are severe,” The Korea Times quoted the lawyer’s defense.
Kim reportedly returned to South Korea on November 12, when she had confessed about her drug use online.
Her admission prompted her to undergo a drug test on the same day which later returned with a positive result of methamphetamine use and was subsequently booked without detention.
The Gyeonggi Bukbu Provincial Police Agency has reportedly announced plans to summon Kim for further questioning about her claims.
“So far, she has undergone initial questioning at Incheon International Airport Police and has been transferred to our jurisdiction for further investigation,” a narcotics investigation official said.
Despite Kim’s allegations about events in the Philippines, Korean authorities have indicated they will focus their investigation on evidence collected domestically.
As of writing, no plans have been announced to investigate the claims about the incidents in the Philippines.
