The death of a 16-month-old baby named Jung In due to violence by her adoptive parents caused an uproar in the South Korean public.
The tragedy prompted the public, including celebrities, to sound the campaign entitled #SorryJungIn. They apologized for not being able to protect Jung In from his parents’ cruelty.
One of the celebrities who participated was Jimin BTS.
“#ImsorryJungIn,” wrote Jimin on Weverse.
Jimin’s step was then followed by BTS fans or commonly called ARMY. They are raising the hashtag.
The public is also pushing for a petition demanding that the court give the adoptive parents the toughest possible sentence. Other celebrities who participated in the campaign included actresses Seo Hyo Rim, Hwang In Young, and Han Chae Ah. They use Twitter and Instagram to voice this support.
The campaign also aims to raise awareness of child abuse in general, as well as the lack of law enforcement to protect children who experience violence in Korea to date.
The police have arrested Jung In’s adoptive parents on October 13, 2020. The couple had previously been able to evade allegations of child abuse.
When questioned, they deny that they caused Jung In’s death. However, the police have obtained strong evidence that the baby is often physically abused, especially by the mother.
The autopsy also showed damage to Jung In’s body as a result of external violence. On January 2, 2021, the television program “Unanswered Questions” aired the case.
The program revealed the fact of the level of violence that Jung-In experienced during the 10 months of her adoptive parents’ care.
The “I’m Sorry Jung In” campaign starts with the heartbreaking farewell video shown at the end of the episode “Unanswered Questions”.
