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The Park Shi Hoo case continues to unfold as new information comes to light. Recently, it was alleged that Trainee A not only claimed that she had been raped twice, but that she plotted with a friend, “B,” to put Park Shi Hoo “in a difficult position.” When the messages between Trainee A and B were released, it was revealed that B advised Trainee A to “ask for a billion won settlement” while Trainee A wrote, “I’m going to put my acting skills to work and convince the police that I’m just a victim in all this.”

Park Shi Hoo is now suing both Trainee A and her friend for false accusations, defamation of character, and blackmail. He is also suing the CEO of his former management company, who he alleges is the mastermind behind the entire case. His lawyers say it can be proven that the CEO conspired with Trainee A and B to bring the case about.

Meanwhile, the Kakao Talk transcript of the conversation that took place between Park Shi Hoo’s friend Kim and Trainee A has been released, and the conversation raises many doubts about Trainee A’s claims. In the conversation, Trainee A writes, “What surprised me more is why I was with Park Shi Hoo” and “Man it was so unexpected…dang.”

Check back for more coverage of this story as it unfolds.

Read our round-up of earlier coverage below:

As you know, Cheongdamdong Alice star Park Shi Hoo was recently indicted for sexual assault. Since his indictment, conflicting stories have arisen between him and his accuser, Trainee A, leading to a serious and thorough investigation of Trainee A’s claims. The sudden inclusion of a third party, Person B, who introduced Park Shi Hoo and Trainee A, only complicated matters, especially when it was confirmed that Park Shi Hoo and Person B met with Trainee A after she accused him, to make an attempt to clear things up. Still, even with the knowledge that security camera footage is expected to play a key role in the investigation, Park Shi Hoo maintains that he is innocent.

Person B, soon revealed to be an up-and-coming actor who tried to maintain anonymity throughout the beginning of the scandal, now faces a lawsuit himself, and has since opened up to authorities and reporters to discuss his version of what happened. While he did introduce Park Shi Hoo and Trainee A, he maintains that this situation has been misrepresented and he’s waiting for the official word from the police following the investigation.

On February 22, Park Shi Hoo’s manager released an official statement regarding the scandal and indictment. The statement apologizes for the long lapse in time between the incident and official word from Park Shi Hoo, but maintains that the negative attention is undeserved, and reasserts that Park Shi Hoo will act in full compliance with the police investigation.

Not known for their silence, netizens have taken to the message boards to voice their outrage, which is directed largely towards Trainee A, and have even managed to attack an uninvolved woman who they suspected to be Trainee A, calling her a “gold digger” and insisting that she leave Park Shi Hoo alone. As the investigation continues, netizens’ support for Park Shi Hoo has not wavered; most netizens still seem to believe Park Shi Hoo’s innocence.

While Park Shi Hoo’s decision to change legal representation from Hwawoo Law to Purme Law delayed police questioning, the police denied Park’s request to transfer investigation duties, leaving the investigation in the hands of the Western Seoul Police Department. There has been speculation that the Hwawoo Law representative stepped away from representing Park because they anticipated positive forensic evidence; however, the reason Park changed representation is still unknown.

Speculation over what occurred the night of the alleged assault led reporters to re-enact the scene in an attempt to uncover whether or not Trainee A’s story seemed viable.

Meanwhile, an interview with a friend of Trainee A’s alleged that Park was wearing a mask when he led Trainee A out of the restaurant, making the event seem premeditated. She also claimed that Trainee A awoke in the middle of a sexual encounter, and Park was wearing a condom. Trainee A’s friend claimed Trainee A even texted Park later on, saying “What do I do now? What happened last night?” Park Shi Hoo’s lawyers claim all of these details are false, and Park’s friend Kim, against whom a suit has also been leveled, claims to still have the texts exchanged between him and Trainee A. His lawyers assert the texts contain normal, everyday conversation.

Kim, who initially wished to remain anonymous, has since updated his Kakao Talk status to say “Fine, let’s do it,” suggesting his determination to engage with the case publicly and prove his innocence.

When the forensics tests came back, it was revealed that Trainee A tested negative for drugs, all but ruling out the involvement of the date rape drug in this case.

In an unrelated incident, it has been alleged that Park Shi Hoo recently  a high-end, designer brand gift from fans. Fans deposited 7.8 million won into his account and, because of the scandal surrounding the actor, some have expressed regret at doing so.

Police issued a summons for Park Shi Hoo to appear for questioning on March 1. The actor underwent a 10-hour investigation, after which he said “I have a lot to say but I gave a thorough statement to the police.” The investigation is ongoing.

Y-Star’s Star News Live released the much-discussed Kakao Talk messages sent between Trainee A and Park Shi Hoo’s friend “Kim” the morning after the incident, which included Trainee A’s message “I’m home” and Kim’s follow up, asking “Are you okay?” Meanwhile, Trainee A and “Kim” have been active on their Kakao accounts, updating their statuses to reflect their attitudes toward the situation. Trainee A posted a status that reads “A graceful person knows to take the fall when they are hit. While it may be right to give back what you get, stooping down to their level does not earn the respect of others.”

Numerous media outlets have been weighing in on the case, including MBC anchorman Jung Byun Jin, who criticized the media’s extensive coverage of the story, saying “Does a person’s right to be informed also include a celebrity’s sex life?” Netizens had a strong negative reaction to this statement, saying it appeared this news anchor was confusing rape with an individual’s “sex life.”

With regards to the recent allegations that Park Shi Hoo accepted an expensive gift from fans, the Park Shi Hoo fan club released an official statement, in which they said “Rumors about the necklaces discussed in the media as well as the ‘gift list’ supposedly written by his mother are completely untrue.”

Meanwhile, Trainee A was reported to have made a threat that many see as similar to her charges against Park Shi Hoo to another man two years ago. In a turnaround, Trainee A’s friend known as B publicly apologized to Park Shi Hoo, claiming that Trainee A had lied to her about the night in question. For his part, Park defended his intentions for Trainee A that night, saying that instead of being a one-night stand, he really was interested in her.

Text messages from Trainee A surfaced from the night of the alleged crime, indicating that Trainee A intended to “make things hard” for Park Shi Hoo. Park Shi Hoo’s side illuminated the reason why he didn’t settle with Trainee A: she had demanded he pay for her until she turned 80.

On a lighter note, photos of Park Shi Hoo bowing after his police interrogation set netizens searching for the term “Park Shi Hoo wearing a wig.”

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