Kim Jung Nan: "Someone Stalked Me for 7 Years"

On the most recent episode of MBC’s “Cultwo’s Veranda Show,” celebrities talked about the criminality of stalking, as Korean law started recognizing stalking as a misdemeanor. In doing so, actress Kim Jung Nan talked about her personal experience of being stalked. 

She said, “I was stalked for about seven years over the phone. The stalker called me continuously, asking me to date him. I first thought of it as a really passionate fan’s confession of love. But it got worse. I argued with him many times and changed my phone number, but he continued to find me. He was obsessing over me, telling me about himself, his family, and other things. It was scary.”

Kim Jung Nan wanted some type of legal protection for herself and punishment for the stalker, but there were no laws or policies about stalking at the time. Since stalking is only a misdemeanor, even if the offender were to be reported, he or she would only have to pay 80,000 Korean won in fines (approximately $70). 

Also on this episode, “Cultwo’s Veranda Show” discussed different types of stalkers. There are people who stalk crime scenes, news crews, and celebrity events. An entertainment journalist revealed that people who are not reporters or journalists keep showing up at events to cover stories and take pictures, stalking only “celebrity happenings,” but not celebrities.