Photos of singer and rapper Jessi with producer Koala, have sparked further controversy surrounding a recent fan assault, with the former having acknowledged that the assailant was an acquaintance of the latter's.

After local media outlet JTBC first reported the case on Oct. 11, netizens have circulated photos of Koala, who co-produced some of Jessi's hits like "Cold Blooded" (2021) and "Nunu Nana" (2020), in seemingly intimate gestures with Jessi.

Koala isn't the unidentified individual who assaulted Jessi's fan but is reported to be acquainted with the assailant.


JTBC reported that an 18-year-old fan approached Jessi to request a photo on Sept. 29. Jessi turned down the request, and the fan apologized. The fan was about to leave the scene when a member of the group Jessi appeared to be with struck him in the face, with the singer leaving the scene immediately.

Jessi, when questioned by police after being found at a nearby bar, claimed not to be acquainted with the perpetrator of the alleged assault, stating that the incident was the first time she'd seen him.

She later reiterated this statement but acknowledged that the attacker was acquainted with producer Koala.

Jessi's agency DOD terminated its contract with her on Oct. 18 after the incident.

In 2013, a Korean American woman accused Jessi of assault at a club, but the charges were ultimately dropped due to complications related to returning to the United States.

BY YOON SEUNG-JIN [yoon.seungjin@joongang.co.kr]