Trigger Warning: Sexual Assault
After months of radio silence on his social media, popular South Korean TikTok star Seo Won-jeong is now facing sexual assault charges, that if found guilty of, will have him serve 7 years in prison.
27-year-old Seo Won-jeong, most famously known as “WonJeongMan” or @ox_zung, is South Korea’s most followed non-celebrity TikTok content creator, racking up an impressive following of 55.6 million. He is most viral for shouting “Mama!” after recreating other content creators’ videos. He became recognizable inside and outside of South Korea for his content, thus also being known as “Mama Boy.” In May of this year, he gained a spot in Forbes’ “30 Under 30 Asia 2023” list.
However, his career skidded to a halt after he suddenly stopped posting content on all of his social media, leaving people to question what had happened. Well, the questioning also came to a stop after Seo was vaguely revealed on South Korean news as the “Influencer A” being investigated for sexual assault charges.
In a news report by SBS, “Influencer A and one other man was arrested for sexually assaulting a woman,” after a social gathering with ‘Woman B’. Both men had taken ‘Woman B’ to the other man’s house and subsequently raped her. After waking up, ‘Woman B’ called the police and reported that she “heard recording noises when she woke up” and then realized that she had been “sexually assaulted by both men.”
The news also detailed how it had been confirmed that ‘Influencer A’ refused to open the door when the police arrived at the door. The fire department had to get involved to force the door open.”
While the news report initially blurred out Seo’s identity, a video in the background was enough for people to identify who he was. People on the Internet had a multitude of reactions to this news, mostly of shock and disgust at how “the soft boy images given to South Korean men obscure the possibility of them committing heinous acts.”
Big news‼️🧵
Never look at a person by the cover! This famous Korean TikTok star is facing 7 years in prison for raping. Greed. Abuse the road. Sex!
Famous Korean TikTok star, Won Jeong Man, 27 years old, who is called MaMa Boy and has 55.6M followers. Now he is in crime. pic.twitter.com/sD6pcj0jjm— Catherine (exam stress inactive family case) (@4ever_youngeuni) December 23, 2023
Korean men are some of the most vile men you’ll meet and I despise the soft boy image K-pop has given them https://t.co/GmW9VDqb2p
— ;•) (@anamorphisis) December 23, 2023
This kind of person should live in prison for the rest of his life.
Wow, it's trash. Why only 7 years in prison?
Don’t let these two boys come out into society again !!!! pic.twitter.com/xuIWET27s6— Catherine (exam stress inactive family case) (@4ever_youngeuni) December 23, 2023
Never be fooled by appearance, this TikTok star will face 7 years in prison for rape. Won Jeong Man, 27 years old, who is called MaMa Boy and has 55.6M followers. Now he is in crime. pic.twitter.com/KyMesQb6A2
— يارا عز الدين (@zhraaahmed89009) December 23, 2023
I didn't expect this kind of news about him
Won Jeong Man
Mama guy faces sexual assault charges pic.twitter.com/t2WEhV3F0H
— Trending Topic (@TrendingTopic31) December 23, 2023
💀💀💀 I’ll never understand why people with so much influence are this way. https://t.co/DSYcIFFtX5
— Mercy (@TheShowNoMercy) December 23, 2023
Yikes. Not that I expected it but I’m not surprised either. You do not know these online influencers https://t.co/jSZTezay4a
— e (@520minyoongi) December 23, 2023
To understand how popular and powerful he was
• he once appeared on Showterview with Jessi
• most followed tiktoker in SK
• he made tiktok contents NOT ONLY with korean idols but also international artists
• he belongs to forbers 30 under 30 this year
i hope u rot in jail! https://t.co/iIcQ7moSGo pic.twitter.com/H25yvAUyVU— Olio (@SallyLe15664120) December 23, 2023
literally Half the Korean men are MISOGYNISTIC and problematic and everyone loves to sexualise them as some kind of god gifted angels when they are just pieces of trash behind the camera https://t.co/o3U63xLvvD pic.twitter.com/4Fef8YQbHT
— ali (@sooyapaved) December 23, 2023
because a cute smile and haircut and they have hoards of fans who think they can do no wrong when in reality they’re misogynistic fucks who hate women
— ;•) (@anamorphisis) December 23, 2023
i need someone korean to tell me why they're not allowed to blast stuff like this first name and last with photos of a r*pist instead we gotta sherlock our way through it but when it's someone being a drug addict or smoking some weed we get their whole damn family tree https://t.co/KPgXOQWCQI
— katarina met kard (@steaItherest) December 23, 2023
also i hate how there's always people who feel like "i never liked him anyways" "i never found him funny" "i found him annoying" are appropriate responses. ask yourselves why you gotta make yourselves morally superior in this situation. look inwards. https://t.co/KPgXOQWCQI
— katarina met kard (@steaItherest) December 23, 2023
Not gonna lie i am still shook and 7 years is too short https://t.co/8jCC6s4qey
— Cyra🍁 (@cyrawords) December 23, 2023
He doesnt deserve to live in prison for 7 years, he should live in prison for the rest of his life https://t.co/eoEwxRFIXP
— clara (@avoucadour) December 23, 2023
Seoul Gangnam Police Station has since then sent the case to the prosecution on December 15, 2023. Seo will face up to 7 years in prison if he is found guilty for the sexual assault of an unconscious victim.
The first court hearing for Seo Won-jeong’s case is scheduled for January 17, 2024.
SOONENT, Seo’s agency, has yet to respond to the news.
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