K-pop group JYJ’s Park Yoo-chun has employed attorneys Lim Sang-hyuk and Lee Kwon-woo, known for expertise in dealing with legal issues in the entertainment industry, local news reports said. Park has recently been accused of sexual crimes against four women in separate incidents.

Park Yoo-chun (Herald Pop)

Lim is a legal consultant to Park’s agency, C-JeS Entertainment. Lim defended JYJ members Park, Kim Jae-joong and Kim Jun-su when they left their former quintet TVXQ and filed a lawsuit against their agency at the time, S.M. Entertainment, in 2009.

The focus of the legal investigation is whether the sexual relationships Park had with the plaintiffs were consensual or forced.
Pyo Chang-won, a Korean politician and criminal psychologist, told local media outlet TV Chosun that Park would be subject to at least three years in prison if found guilty of raping at least one of the four plaintiffs. He added that Park may serve a longer sentence if found guilty of raping all of them.

By Lee Ji-hae (jihlee@heraldcorp.com)