Former agent demands thorough probe into death of actress

By Shin Hae-in
SEOUL, March 18 (Yonhap) -- A former agent of the late actress Jang Ja-yeon on
Wednesday called for a thorough investigation into the causes for Jang's suicide,
saying a letter left behind by her would offer clues to those responsible for her
death, as well as to his innocence.
Yoo Jang-ho, who once worked as Jang's agent, argued in a news conference that
the letter written by Jang prior to her suicide contained the truth on the
circumstances leading to her death.
He refused to speculate how the letter was leaked to local media, but defended
himself against growing public suspicion about his role in Jang's suicide.
Jang, 30, hanged herself at her house in Bundang south of Seoul on March 7, in a
move that shocked the nation as the young starlet had just begun to win
popularity from her supporting role in a popular KBS TV series.
The case took an unexpected turn last week as the contents of a lengthy letter
Jang wrote to her manager Yoo was made public by a local broadcaster. In the
letter, Jang said another former agent, known only by his family name Kim, had
forced her to provide sexual favors to high-powered entertainment figures and
journalists.
Calling herself a "powerless young actress," Jang also said she was constantly
battered and barely earned any profit with her former agent "taking care" of all
her finances. The letter was proven authentic by experts late Tuesday.
Yoo denied the suspicions he forced Jang to write the letter in front of him and
purposely leaked it to media to win a legal battle with the entertainment firm
led by Kim over profit Jang has made.
"God knows I never forced Ja-yeon to do anything. The letter was burnt after it
was written and I have no idea how the broadcaster got a hold of it," he said. "I
have never been in a legal battle with anyone living in the Republic of Korea."
"Ja-yeon is a brave victim who died while fighting against something wrong," Yoo
went on. "I hope her death will not be meaningless and the case is thoroughly
investigated and revealed."
Police said they will soon summon the 10 people listed in Jang's letter,
including Kim, for questioning, adding they will be punished if the contents turn
out to be true. Bundang police are currently looking into Jang's e-mails and
phone call records as well.
The probe into Jang's letter is snowballing into a massive social scandal as it
is not the first time suspicions over the abuse of female actresses have been
raised in the local entertainment industry.
In January, cloning of top actress Jeon Ji-hyeon's mobile phone by her agent
triggered renewed debate on the boundaries between an entertainer's right to
privacy and commercial interests.
And in recent years, the reputations of several female celebrities have been
tarnished after videos of them having sex appeared on the Internet, downloaded by
millions. Agents and managers often pressure actresses to have sex with them
while being videotaped, using it as blackmail to prevent the starlets from
skipping to bigger firms that offer more money after they earn fame.
hayney@yna.co.kr
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