After BTS SUGA, K-pop soloist Jessi becomes victim of altered CCTV footage by South Korean media, fans ask WHY?

South Korea-based American singer-rapper Jessi, while she has been cleared of all charges in connection with a fan assault that took place in front of her, her fans Jebbies are angry over the altered CCTV footage spread by JTBC. According to South Korean news outlets Yonhap and Korea Joongang Daily, Seoul police dropped the charges against the 35-year-old rapper, citing insufficient evidence that Jessi had concealed the crime or assisted in the escape of the perpetrator.

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The controversy stemmed from a report by South Korean broadcaster JTBC in October, which covered an incident that occurred on September 29. An 18-year-old male fan had approached Jessi while she was out with friends, asking for a photo. Although Jessi politely declined, the situation escalated into an altercation. 

A music producer named Koala, who is one of Jessi's collaborators, reportedly threatened and physically struck the fan. Another man, believed to be part of Jessi's entourage, was seen on CCTV footage later running to the scene and attacking the fan. While Jessi initially attempted to intervene, she quickly left the area - according to JTBC's video.

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However, on November 8, HYPE reported that the video shared by JTBC had been manipulated. In the original footage, Jessi can be seen trying multiple times to stop the fight, and her friends also attempted to prevent the assailant from continuing the attack. The footage reportedly ends when Jessi walks to the other side of the road, but it was later revealed that she had returned to check on the fan, contradicting earlier reports that suggested she had abandoned the situation.

Joining Jessi's fans were BTS fans, ARMY, who had seen firsthand how SUGA (aka Min Yoongi), also received backlash after JTBC released fake CCTV footage attempting to portray him riding his electric kickboard on a busy street, while the original video showed him riding it on a designated path near his home.

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Jebbies took to social media, especially X (formerly known as Twitter), baffled by how the original video had been edited to fit the narrative. Many even started various trends like "JTBC APOLOGIZE TO JESSI", "JUSTICE FOR JESSI", "HOLD JTBC ACCOUNTABLE" and "SOUTH KOREAN MEDIA CORRUPT".

Not Jessi's fault:

The incident has had a significant impact on Jessi’s career as her contract with DOD Entertainment was terminated after the assault became public, just a month after she had announced joining the agency.

In addition to the professional setback, Jessi faced criticism from netizens who felt she failed to protect her fan adequately. She was also the target of numerous malicious comments online.

Jessi had publicly apologized for the incident twice on her social media platforms. On October 23, she wrote: "If I had taken a picture, protected the victim more actively, gone straight to the police, or apologized properly, the victim wouldn't have suffered this much. This is all my fault".

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