Prosecutors seek 7-year prison term for former K-pop idol over rape charge

Prosecutors sought seven years in prison for Himchan, a member of the now-disbanded boy band B.A.P, who is facing sexual assault charges.

Former K-pop idol Himchan [YONHAP]

Prosecutors sought seven years in prison for Himchan, a member of the now-disbanded boy band B.A.P, who is facing sexual assault charges.

During the final hearing for his case on Tuesday, prosecutors said, "The victims are experiencing pain considering the offenses' methods, frequency and circumstances."

They requested that Himchan be added to the national sex offender registry, banned for 10 years from getting a job at organizations related to children or people with disabilities, ordered to wear a tracking device for three years and put on four years of supervised probation after his sentence.

The prosecutors believe the singer, whose real name is Kim Him-chan, raped a woman in May 2023 and filmed it, later sending it to the victim in June of the same year.

During that period, Kim was undergoing his second trial for a different sexual harassment charges.

The singer was first tried in court in April 2019 for sexually harassing a woman in 2018. A court sentenced him 10 months in prison. His appeal was dismissed last February.

Kim was later found to have sexually harassed two women who were drunk in April 2022 and also alleged to have raped another victim in May 2022 while he was under trial for his first sexual crime.

Kim completed his time and was released in December 2023, but he is still behind bars to be tried for his additional assaults.

The court trying the case is to make a decision on Feb. 1.

Kim debuted in 2012 as a member of the boy band B.A.P. The band disbanded in 2019.

BY KIM JI-YE [kim.jiye@joongang.co.kr]