Jo Min Ki, a South Korean drama actor accused of sexual assault, was found dead on Friday, March 9. A wave of #MeToo accusations storms the country’s still male-dominated society.

The 52-year-old Korean drama actor had been accused of sexually molesting women. There were at least eight victims. He was found hanged in a building’s storage area, where he lived in Seoul. According to Yonhap news agency, citing police as saying, it was suspected as suicide.

It was said that most of his victims were his drama students. It was at a provincial university where he taught. The South Korean drama actor had been fired because of the scandal. This then left his career to spiral down.

Jo Min Ki’s roles were usually in television series. However, he appeared in some films as well.

Sexual abuse allegations have been made against prominent men in different fields. These include politics and arts.

South Korean women have long been reluctant to reveal sex abuse because of their fear of relentless public shaming and bullying.

But in January, there was a Seoul prosecutor who made a rare move to speak out about sex abuse through a superior on live TV. This then triggered a wave of accusations.

Meanwhile, 30-year-old actor Jung Il Woo posted a message on his Instagram account. He expressed his condolences toward the late actor. Today, on March 10, he posted a blank black photo. He wrote, “Pray for you.” Netizens speculated that the two actors shared a friendship. They shot the 2013 drama Golden Rainbow.

Because of the sexual harassment allegations related to the late Jo Min Ki, any form of gesture that commemorates his death has been pointed out and criticized by the public. After Yoo Ah In’s witch-hunting video, Jung Il Woo’s Instagram post caused a stir as well in the social media world. In the younger Korean drama actor’s case, though, he took down his post shortly afterward because of the amount of backlash he received.

Even with the vast opinions that criticize the alleged actions of the late actor, some people do argue that a human’s wish to mourn someone’s death is that person’s own right and freedom.

(After all, we are all humans and do commit wrongful actions at times. And to be humane, we should give respect to other people’s feelings, especially when it comes to mourning the death of someone they care about.)

Photo source: Facebook/Jo Min Ki; Jung Il Woo