The sexual assault case against Cha No Ah, son of actor Cha Seung Won, has been dropped.
Cha No Ah, 24, was accused of assaulting a minor, a 19-year-old high school student, known as "A." On Aug. 2, "A" alleged she was held against her will by Cha No Ah and repeatedly raped. Cha No Ah, a former pro-gamer, denied the rape charge saying that the sex was consensual. She claimed that she was threatened. The girl's family refused an out of court settlement, saying that no amount of money could make up for their daughter's suffering. They asked that Cha No Ah kneel before her and beg for forgiveness.
This week "A" withdrew her complaint after meeting up with Cha No Ah to discuss the incident. Only those who were present know what happened during the meeting, whether there was a financial settlement or whether Cha No Ah begged for forgiveness, as her family asked.
A representative for Cha Seung Won told OSEN that "A" and Cha No Ah have resolved their misunderstanding.
"She has withdrawn her charges and Cha No Ah has been cleared of suspicion," said the representative.
That's not only good news for Cha No Ah but it was welcome news for his father, who earlier this year felt the need to apologize publicly for his son's behavior.
" I would like to apologize to everyone for being a father who failed to raise his children properly," said Cha Seung Won on the website me2day. "I bear a huge responsibility. I can't hide my sadness and, but I would like to express my deepest apologies."
It was not the only trouble that Cha No Ah got into this year. He was also arrested for marijuana possession along with television personality Bianca Mobley and Daniel of the K-pop boy band DMTN. In court his legal team asked for leniency.
"The defendant has confessed to the charge, but he did not personally purchase marijuana or have a regular habit of smoking it," said his lawyer.
The judge sentenced Cha No Ah to 10 months in prison but it was eventually reduced to a six-month suspended sentence.
Cha No Ah's offence was considered less serious than Daniel's, who was convicted of selling marijuana. Leniency was also granted because he grew up in the U.S., where using marijuana is not punished so severely.
"I am very sorry to my family and everyone around me," Cha No Ah said during the closing arguments.
If Cha No Ah can stay out of trouble for the next two years, he can make a fresh start. But the incidents have tarnished both his image and that of his father.
