Reality Star Faces Six-Month Prison Sentence for Assault Charges

A participant from the reality show I Am Solo (나는솔로), identified as Choi, has been sentenced to six months in prison for assaulting a man on the street. The ruling was made by Judge Park Kyung-mo at the Daegu District Court on June 12, 2025. Choi, who appeared as a contestant in the show's 10th season, is accused of striking the victim's left cheek six times and damaging the victim's phone by throwing it to the ground. Additionally, he allegedly insulted the victim by calling him a 'punk' in front of bystanders.

During the trial, Choi admitted to the assault but claimed that the victim had made inappropriate sexual comments first, stating, "I feel wronged. I am in a disadvantageous position." When asked by the judge if he was willing to settle the matter, Choi mentioned that he had attempted to reach out for a settlement, but the victim's conditions included not appearing on television again, which led to a breakdown in negotiations.

In his closing statement, Choi expressed remorse, saying, "I apologize. I have never acted this way before. I feel wronged because the comments made towards me were excessively sexual. I am sorry."

The incident was reported by JTBC's Incident Report (사건반장) on June 6, where the victim, referred to as A, recounted that on October 3 of last year, he was trying to hail a taxi when he encountered Choi. A claimed that when he told Choi to take the next taxi since he had hailed it first, Choi suddenly slapped him.

A also shared a recording from the incident where Choi can be heard shouting, "Record this, you [expletive]. I'll give you my lawyer's contact, send me to jail!"

After learning that Choi was a contestant on I Am Solo, A expressed discomfort at seeing someone like him on television, stating, "I want a formal apology, and if that can't happen, I hope you don't appear on TV anymore."

The prosecution has requested a six-month prison sentence for Choi. The initial trial was delayed due to Choi's absence last month. The sentencing hearing is scheduled for June 24, 2025.