Dispatch Claims Yoon Ji Oh Has No Credibility As A Witness, Even Helping Prove The Men Not Guilty
Dispatch has claimed Yoon Ji Oh, the so-called key player in the revival of Jang Ja Yeon‘s suicide case, has no credibility as a witness. They have also claimed Jang Ja Yeon was used by other people, both when she was alive and dead.
Dispatch has released a series of police statements and investigation records detailing how Yoon Ji Oh’s testimonies have changed over the years, and even how they align more with the men who assaulted Jang Ja Yeon, rather than Jang Ja Yeon herself.
This first set of chat logs between the police and Yoon Ji Oh occurred on March 15, 2009, just 8 days after Jang Ja Yeon’s death where they discussed her agency CEO, Kim Jong Seung.
Police: Kim Jong Seung CEO was supposed to attend the drinking event but did not attend, what happened?
Yoon Ji Oh: He either had a different schedule or was sick. I was a little angry when he didn’t attend for personal reasons but I didn’t have too much of a problem with it.
Police: In that case, did Kim Jong Seung verbally or physically assault you?
Yoon Ji Oh: It is not true [that he did that].
Police: Were you forced to pour alcohol, have physical contact, or dance blues by someone?
Yoon Ji Oh: Kim Jong Seung CEO never let me or Jang Ja Yeon pour drinks and also never forced us to dance blues. A customer asked me to dance blues with him but Kim Jong Seung said no. I did pour drinks after a person of high status (IT company chairman) dropped hints to me that I should.
During her second round of investigations on March 18, 2009, she continued on with her investigation, but revealed she did not have to pour drinks for the men.
Police: What do you know about the “alcohol serving”?
Yoon Ji Oh: The fact that both I and Jang Ja Yeon sit next to Kim Jong Seung when he and his group have drinking outings is the alcohol serving. Because I don’t drink alcohol, the concept of the “alcohol serving” is like having to sit at the table with alcohol and being there.
Police: So what you are saying is that the “alcohol serving” is female employees going to a bar, pouring drinks, and singing and dancing with the male employees?
Yoon Ji Oh: It’s true that I sang and danced with them, even though I did not pour drinks.
Police: Please testify whether you were forced to sing and dance, or if you did it on your own.
Yoon Ji Oh: The CEO and the guests asked me and Jang Ja Yeon to since and dance. There is not a single person that would want to sing or dance in that position.
During her same testimony on March 18, 2009, Yoon Ji Oh revealed what Jang Ja Yeon personally did to celebrate the CEO’s birthday. This testimony could be considered to help the men’s case, not Jang Ja Yeon’s.
Police: Jang Ja Yeon climbed onto the table and danced during Kim Jong Seung’s birthday event. Does she usually dance on top of the table?
Yoon Ji Oh: I have never seen Jang Ja Yeon dance on the table. Since it was the CEO’s birthday, she climbed onto the table on her own accord and danced.
4 months later, on July 25, 2009, Yoon Ji Oh’s testimony changed, and she remembered how Jang Ja Yeon danced on top of the table that night.
Police: Do you remember how Jang Ja Yeon danced on the table?
Yoon Ji Oh: When she was dancing on top of the table, she lifted up her skirt and laid down with her back on the table, in a sexy, provocative way.
Police: Do you know the reason why she danced on top of the table?
Yoon Ji Oh: I don’t know. That’s the first time I saw it too.
She also explained the various types of stress she felt under Kim Jong Seung’s reign in a separate testimony to police on July 8, 2009.
Police: Were there times you have leave the venue due to verbal abuse, violence, or threats made by Kim Jong Seung?
Yoon Ji Oh: He did not say what would happen if we didn’t appear, whether it would be swearing or hitting. Since I signed with the agency, I attended the events because it would be disastrous if I didn’t go, not because I wanted to.
Due to Yoon Ji Oh’s statements, the Suwon District Prosecutor’s Office found Kim Jong Seung not guilty of coercion and attempted coercion. They determined that since she chose to attend the parties herself, and her contract did not explicitly state that she had to pour drinks, that there was insufficient evidence to prove coercion.
The police also determined that Jo Hee Cheon of Chosun Ilbo was not guilty of coercion, due to lack of evidence. Jo Hee Cheon was one of the men present at Kim Jong Seung’s birthday party, when Jang Ja Yeon danced on the table.
Yoon Ji Oh stated that a newspaper CEO grabbed Jang Ja Yeon’s wrist and forced her onto his lap, then he put his hand under her skirt and started touching her breasts. Jo Hee Cheon firmly denied the allegations, stating he saw her dancing on the table but never forcibly touched her.
Jo Hee Cheon’s not guilty verdict was actually aided by Yoon Ji Oh’s statement, as her story was not consistent and flipped sides. Why did she not have any credibility? The first reason was her description of Jo Hee Cheon changed during the investigation. She was also shown a video of 2 different men, and stated both of then were Jo Hee Cheon.
This first testimony about Jo Hee Cheon occurs on April 15, 2009.
Police: Is there a newspaper executive who grabbed Jang Ja Yeon’s wrist while she was dancing on the table and molested her?
Yoon Ji Oh: Jo Hee Cheon was the one who pulled Jang Ja Yeon’s wrist.
Police: Why did the statement point to Hong Sun Geun?
Yoon Ji Oh: I was told that there was a person from a newspaper that attended Kim Sung Hoon CEO’s birthday party. I looked at the business card I received at home, and it was from Money Today CEO Hong Sun Geun.
Police: Where did you get his business card?
Yoon Ji Oh: I don’t know where I got it from but I’m sure I got it from the place Kim Sung Hoon CEO called me to.
Police: Was Jang Ja Yeon with you when you received his business card?
Yoon Ji Oh: I can’t remember when or where I got it, and I don’t remember if she was with me.
Police: Was Jo Hee Cheon’s job ever introduced to you?
Yoon Ji Oh: From what I remember, when he introduced himself he said he was working at a newspaper, please tell me what his job is.
During Yoon Ji Oh’s 2nd investigation with prosecution on July 25, 2009, the prosecutors questioned her credibility with her statements.
Prosecution: Did Jang Ja Yeon show any resistance when Jo Hee Cheon tried to touch her breasts and thighs?
Yoon Ji Oh: She wasn’t very angry, but she pushed away his hand, said “why are you doing this?”, and went to sit next to Kim Jong Seung.
Prosecution: Jang Ja Yeon was getting molested, but why didn’t she get angry?
Yoon Ji Oh: I am not Jang Ja Yeon so I don’t know.
Prosecution: About how tall is Jo Hee Cheon?
Yoon Ji Oh: He seemed taller than me and his shoulders were rounded.
Prosecution: What did you say in the testimony?
Yoon Ji Oh: 173 cm.
Prosecution: During the testimony, you said that Jo Hee Cheon was shorter than you, which would be about 168 cm?
Yoon Ji Oh: Actually, I thought it was Hong Sun Geun at the police…
Prosecution: Didn’t you say that you were taller than him at the testimony, even though you were in poor condition?
Yoon Ji Oh: I don’t know. Is height that important?
Prosecution: Jo Hee Cheon is 177cm tall and weighs 82 kg. Why did your testimony say the person who molested Jang Ja Yeon was shorter than you, at 168 cm?
Yoon Ji Oh: I don’t know. The people I have met until now were almost all shorter than me. I didn’t think anyone was taller than me. I’m between 173-174cm, but I am over 180cm when I wear heels.
Prosecution: So did you testify incorrectly at the police about the person who molested Jang Ja Yeon’s height?
Yoon Ji Oh: What do you know? Whether they’re tall or short…
Due to her conflicting statements, Jo Hee Cheon was determined not guilty.
There is also issue with how Yoon Ji Oh is portraying herself to the public. On April 11, she guested on JTBC Newsroom and discussed how she felt threatened that there were people actively trying to harm her.
However, it was confirmed by Dispatch that the accident was just a normal accident due to an icy road, and the driver of the other car was an ordinary father. Chat logs obtained of Yoon Ji Oh talking to a friend show them talking about the accident.
Yoon Ji Oh: It was 100% the fault of the driver who hit me from behind, but he was a father of a young child who was picking up his child after work ㅜㅜ my heart hurts.
Friend: Wow.. it looks like it was because of the slick roads
Yoon Ji Oh: Yep. Ah, how was your Thailand vacation?
Friend: I’m glad no one was seriously hurt.
Yoon Ji Oh: Yeah, but my back hurts ㅜㅜ
Friend: The car can get dented but if a person gets hurt..
Yoon Ji Oh: Anyway, it hurts. Ah right, I want a massage or the insurance money. I’m going to change my car this year.
Finally, Yoon Ji Oh has constantly stated that her personal safety is at risk, and that there were numerous instances where she felt unsafe due to various issues she encountered. But in each case, it was discovered nothing was wrong.
- Yoon Ji Oh claimed her smartwatch that the police provided her was malfunctioning, as she pressed call and no one responded for 10 hours.
- After analyzing the logs provided by the smartwatch manufacturer, Yoon Ji Oh did not hold the call button long enough for a SOS emergency call to go through. The button needs to be held for more 1.5 seconds or more but the first 2 attempts she made to call, the button was held less than 1.5 seconds. On her third attempt, she held the button longer than 1.5 seconds, but the call was immediately cancelled as she pressed the power button at the same time.
- She claimed there were suspicious mechanical sounds coming from the other side of her wall
- The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency forensic investigation team confirmed that there was no criminal activity going on in the room next to her after examining the room’s occupants via CCTV, noise levels, and fingerprints.
- Yoon Ji Oh claimed the vents were purposely cut sharply by someone.
- In the case of the ventilation shafts, it was discovered by the Korean Tourist Service during a rating review on March 13 that the ventilation shaft in the bathroom ceiling was already removed. The size of the hole is not large enough for a human to enter.
- When she opened the door, both her and her bodyguards smelled gas.
- There is no gas supply in the hotel rooms. It is assumed to be a mixture of super glue and plaster that she was using for crafts.
