B.A.P Himchan sentenced to 10 months in prison for sexual assault

Singer Kim Him-chan has been sentenced to 10 months in prison for sexual assault. Korea Times file

By Lee Gyu-lee

Kim Him-chan, better known as Himchan of the now-disbanded K-pop boy group B.A.P, has been sentenced to 10 months in prison for sexual assault.

The Seoul Central District Court convicted the singer, 30, Wednesday of sexually assaulting a woman in her 20s at a guesthouse in Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province, in July 2018. He was also ordered to complete 40 hours of a sex crime prevention program.

The court, however, did not put the star behind bars immediately after the ruling, offering him some time to "seek forgiveness from the victim."

"The evidence, including statements from the victim, is credible and backs the charges," Judge Jung Sung-hwan said. "The seriousness of the crime and the fact that the victim did not forgive him were factored into the sentencing."

Himchan was indicted in April 2019 on charges of sexual assault. He and the victim had a drink with four other friends at the guesthouse where he grabbed her breasts and kissed her against her will. He admitted the act, but claimed that it was consensual.

Himchan debuted as a member of the then-six-member band B.A.P in 2012. The group failed to renew its contract with its agency TS Entertainment and disbanded in February 2019.

He attempted to launch his solo career with the album "Reason Of My Life" last October, but was caught driving drunk the day after releasing the album.

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