‘Slow Aging’ Jeong Hee-won “I recognized it was inappropriate but could not stop”

‘Jeong Hee-won’s Slow Aging’ screen capture

Jeong Hee-won, head of the Slow Aging Research Institute, apologized for the controversy over his private life. However, he stated that it was not sexual exploitation by abuse of power.

On the 10th, a video titled ‘This is Jeong Hee-won. I am sorry’ was uploaded to the YouTube channel ‘Jeong Hee-won’s Slow Aging’.

In the video, after bowing his head, Jeong said, “I sincerely apologize to everyone who felt discomfort and disappointment because of my actions,” and added, “My inappropriate conduct and poor judgment caused many people concern, and I am reflecting deeply.”

He said, “It took me a really long time to decide to film this video. I thought whatever I said would sound like an excuse. So I believed it was right to say nothing for a while,” adding, “But I also clearly feel that silence cannot substitute for responsibility. Therefore, through this video I want to clearly acknowledge where I did wrong and offer an apology.”

He continued, “Above all, I failed to keep the boundaries that should be observed in a work relationship. I did not draw a clear line in the relationship. Even though I recognized it was inappropriate, I did not stop immediately,” and said, “That poor judgment and weakness cannot be justified for any reason. When I think of the pain my family had to bear, I still cannot lift my head.”

Jeong said, “To my family, and to those who supported and trusted me, I am truly sorry,” apologizing to his family.

He went on, “For a long time I have talked about the balance of a healthy life. Yet in my own life I lost balance and blurred boundaries, failing to make responsible decisions, and I think that has disappointed you even more,” adding, “It is only right that I be criticized for the gap between my words and my life. No matter how much overwork, stress, and psychological difficulty there was, those do not explain my choices. I was an adult and should have been more careful. The responsibility is entirely mine.”

Jeong added, “However, I want to cautiously state that many of the claims reported from A include content that is different from the facts,” and emphasized, “I did not use influence to coerce A into any sexual role. The claim that I infringed A’s copyright is also not true. All of the health-related discussions I have presented were not created by A, who worked with me only briefly.”

He continued, “Some of these points have already been clarified by certain media, and I believe they will be clearly established in the future course of the investigation.”

Meanwhile, in December last year, Jeong filed a complaint with the Seoul Bangbae Police Station against A, a female researcher at his former workplace, on charges including ‘Violation of the Anti-Stalking Act’ and ‘Attempted Extortion’. In response, A filed a countersuit against Jeong on charges including ‘Forcible Indecency by Abuse of Power’ and ‘Violation of the Copyright Act’.