A, a former commissioned researcher who was sued on suspicion of stalking by Jeong Hee-won, head of the Slow Aging Research Institute (Seoul Metropolitan Government Chief Health Officer·former professor at Seoul Asan Medical Center), who gained fame for ‘Slow Aging’, stated that “this matter concerns sexual violence through abuse of power arising from an employment- and status-based power relationship, and copyright infringement.”

Hyesuk Law Firm, which represents A, issued a press release on the 17th, saying that “reducing this matter to an affair, a private conflict, or a stalking frame seriously distorts the essence of the case,” and conveyed the position of A accordingly.

According to the statement, A was hired by Seoul Asan Medical Center as a project-commissioned researcher and signed two employment contracts for 2024~2025. However, A claims that there was little actual research-assistance work and that A exclusively handled the personal external activities and media work of Jeong Hee-won.

A stated that A planned and operated the X (formerly Twitter) account of Jeong Hee-won, handling drafting and uploading posts and managing mentions and DMs. Jeong became popular among X users by making timely use of so-called ‘memes and reaction images’, and A says A was the one who drafted and uploaded those posts. A also claimed to have directly created and managed the ‘Slow Aging’ online community, which has about 70,000 members.

The statement said, “The victim (A) was placed in a 1:1 subordinate working structure with Jeong, and the authority to decide on hiring, retention, work allocation and evaluation, and overall career prospects was given to the employer, Jeong Hee-won.”

It continued, “Within this relationship, Jeong Hee-won consistently demanded that the victim perform specific roles that aligned with the sexual desires and preferences of Jeong, and these demands were not a one-off · accidental incident but were repeatedly made from time to time throughout the victim's employment period.” It added that the locations also varied, including a hospital laboratory (called in while on duty), lodging facilities, and the residence of the victim.

The statement asserted, “The victim disliked accepting these demands but could not help but comply out of fear of dismissal. When the victim indicated an intention to stop, Jeong mentioned the possibility of suicide, social stigma, and the possibility of dismissal, effectively overwhelming the decision-making capacity of the victim,” and argued, “This is structural sexual violence that cannot be reduced to issues of intimacy or personal feelings.”

Earlier, Jeong filed a police complaint accusing A of violating the Anti-Stalking Act and attempted extortion, among other charges. Jeong acknowledged that from March 2024 to June 2025 there had been “temporary interactions out of a feeling of personal closeness” with A. Jeong further claimed that “A repeatedly showed obsession and stalking, including demanding, ‘divorce your wife and marry me.’” Jeong also said, “A took Jeong to a lodging facility reserved by A, saying A would give a massage, and attempted physical contact multiple times, so there was contact, but there was no sexual intercourse.”

In response, the side of A refuted that the stalking allegation is not true. The statement said there is objective material indicating that Jeong repeatedly expressed dissatisfaction with a spouse and in-laws and that A asked Jeong to stop doing so.

In addition, the side of A argued that Jeong raised the stalking allegation to cover up copyright infringement regarding the book <Slow Aging Mindset> published in June. According to A, the book began under a co-author contract between Jeong and A, and A, as a ‘ghostwriter’ (a writer for hire), went in person to the office of the publisher for months to write and submit the manuscript. A said the co-author contract was terminated midstream at the request of Jeong and the book was later published as a sole-authored work without the consent of A.

This completely contradicts an earlier claim by Jeong that “the researcher in question lacked writing ability, making substantive co-authorship impossible, and therefore the joint-writing contract was terminated.”

The side of A said A did not know of the sole-author publication at the time, learned of it afterward, and raised the issue. The side of Jeong proposed paying royalties for copies already sold or issuing an expanded and revised edition, but A demanded publication of a new-cover edition that clearly reflected copyright. After talks were halted and Jeong blocked contact, A visited to convey an intention, which became the basis for the stalking allegation, according to A. The statement said, “The act in question was a one-off visit. Repeated · continuous approaches or surveillance · tracking were not present.”

The side of A countered, “Defining the matter solely as ‘stalking’ or ‘one-sided obsession’ while excluding these circumstances shifts blame onto the victim.” The side also said, “This matter is a structural problem that combines employment- and status-based sexual violence with copyright infringement, and reducing it to a personal dispute or a stalking frame creates further harm.”

Earlier, Hanjung Law Firm, representing Jeong, claimed that A had continuously stalked Jeong since July. The side of Jeong said A spoke in the YouTube studio of Jeong, saying ‘Without me, you will be ruined,’ and also went to the workplace of the spouse of Jeong to threaten.

▼ Reporter Kim Seo-Young westzero@khan.kr