Controversy surrounding a sexual assault allegation at Cornell University is spreading across online communities in South Korea. The situation intensified as posts emerged discussing the familial connections and background of a student identified as Korean-American among the defendants.
On October 1, a post titled 'Grandson of a Korean Politician Shocked by Overseas Accounts' appeared on an online forum. The post included references to the sexual assault allegations linked to the Cornell social club Chi Phi.
The post claimed about a specific defendant, stating, "One of the rapists is the grandson of a former South Korean Prime Minister," and added, "His father is a corporate Asia managing director." It also mentioned, "His mother is the president of the Korean Women's Association in Hong Kong," asserting that they belong to the most privileged elite class in South Korea.
Reports from the Cornell Daily Sun and other media confirm that a Korean-American individual is included in the list of defendants in the Cornell case.
In response to the post, some netizens expressed concern that the incident has not received adequate attention in South Korea, criticizing the political and media response. Comments included, "It's chaotic overseas, but why is it so quiet here? Oh, it's because of that party," and "They are desperately trying to bury this issue," along with questions about the family's influence.
Other users connected the recent controversy surrounding the film 'Assassins' to the current case, stating, "Suddenly, media outlets are making a fuss about the movie, and it’s not even right after its release. It started spreading in Korean communities after the Cornell incident," and speculating about the political motivations behind the media coverage.
However, as of now, the familial connections and any links to politicians mentioned in the post have not been verified. It is important to distinguish between the inclusion of a Korean-American student in the Cornell case and claims regarding their family background.
The Cornell incident reportedly occurred in October 2024 at the Chi Phi building, where a 20-year-old former student alleged that she was sexually assaulted by multiple men after consuming alcohol and drugs. On September 14, she filed a civil lawsuit against Cornell University, the Chi Phi organization, and seven male students.
The lawsuit alleges that the defendants pressured the victim to consume a substance known as ketamine and subsequently assaulted her. The defendants have denied the allegations.
Cornell University has conducted its own investigation into the incident and recently announced that the Chi Phi chapter is currently banned from campus. While the university has not disclosed specific disciplinary actions against individual students due to privacy concerns, it stated that measures such as expulsion and suspension have been taken following the investigation and review process.
Initially, the case did not lead to criminal charges, but after the civil lawsuit was filed, the Tompkins County District Attorney's Office reopened a criminal investigation. However, no criminal convictions have been confirmed against the defendants, and the specific facts of the case are expected to be clarified through ongoing investigations.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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