Jang Ja-yeon’s manager gets account info seized

Police yesterday seized account information of the head of actress Jang Ja-yeon’s former agency as the probe into the events surrounding her suicide deepened.

The documents were taken from an accounting firm that manages Kim Sung-hoon’s accounts, in order to match the information from the talent manager’s credit card that was used at room salons and karaoke bars.

“We wanted to check if the credit card records we got from places where Kim went coincide with the documents we obtained,” said officer Lee Myeong-gyun in a briefing at Bundang Police Precinct in Gyeonggi. “As soon as we are finished checking both sets of records, we will begin summoning figures involved in Jang’s exploitation.”

Police also said that they have affirmed the exact times and places the exploitation took place after analyzing the contents of over 130,000 communication records from different cell phones belonging to Kim, Jang and figures listed in an accusatory document Jang wrote before she killed herself.

The exploitation happened at nine spots in southern Seoul’s Gangnam area; two have since closed. Police are looking to question workers who used to work at the two locations.

Lee also said they have obtained video recordings from a closed circuit surveillance camera installed outside of a room salon near Kim’s old office building in Samseong-dong, southern Seoul.

“We were not able to obtain video recordings from a camera that was installed inside his office because the equipment was out of order during the three-hour raid on March 21. So we could not find out who went in and out of the office,” said Lee.

Meanwhile, police have also questioned a reporter who is being sued by Jang’s family for defaming the late actress.

Jang’s older brother filed a defamation lawsuit on March 13 against two reporters from the Korea Broadcasting Service and Yoo Jang-ho, the head of her agency at the time of her death. Four others were also sued on charges of sexual exploitation.

“We will finish questioning reporters from KBS and three reporters who saw Jang’s written document for the first time within a few days. We are also planning to subpoena Yoo again soon,” Lee reported.

By Jang Joo-young, Lee Min-yong [smartpower@joongang.co.kr]