Former AOA member Kwon Mina has finally closed the courtroom battle over the sexual assault she says she suffered in middle school — and she revealed her stance on the ruling. On the 19th, Kwon wrote on Instagram, "Today marks the end of a journey that lasted more than four years," signaling the end of her legal fight.
The case goes back 18 years to Kwon Mina's middle-school days. In March 2021, during a live broadcast on social media, she revealed that she had been sexually assaulted by an older schoolmate while attending middle school in Busan, drawing significant attention.
Regarding the perpetrator, she said, "He isn’t a celebrity that everyone would recognize," adding, "I was too afraid of retaliation to report it at the time, and I went home with the bruises hidden under my clothes." Later that December, she said the case, alleging she was sexually assaulted as a minor, had been sent to the prosecution.
Kwon Mina said that while preparing for trial, she had been told that if both rape and bodily injury charges were recognized, the perpetrator could face severe punishment, which raised her hopes. However, in the final verdict, only the rape charge was acknowledged, while bodily injury was not, and due to the statute of limitations, no substantial punishment followed.
Kwon emphasized, "As the victim, what mattered to me was whether it was guilty or not," adding, "I choose to find meaning and be satisfied that at least one charge was recognized." She continued, "I hope victims like me won’t blame themselves or hide. Please find the courage to speak up."
She also shared that she refused to be discouraged by the outcome and instead wanted to grow stronger, expressing, "Rather than getting greedy about the result, I wanted at least one voice to be acknowledged."