Rapper E Sens Rejects Fine, Demands Trial Over Molestation Claim

Rapper E Sens, a member of the hip hop duo Supreme Team, is contesting a summary fine issued over allegations that he forcibly molested a woman he met at a nightclub in Itaewon, Seoul, last August.

According to local media reports Thursday, the 39-year-old musician, whose real name is Lee Sang-hoon, is accused of persisting with unwanted physical contact after the woman, in her 30s, asked him to stop. Prosecutors allege he attempted to kiss her despite her objections and bit her neck during the encounter.

The Seoul Southern District Court issued a summary order last month imposing a 5 million won ($3,400) fine, a penalty typically used for less serious offenses that skips a full criminal trial. E Sens formally objected to the order, a move that automatically sends the case to a full court hearing rather than accepting the fine.

In a statement posted to social media on Thursday, E Sens denied any wrongdoing, saying he had met the woman and her friends at the club, where the group drank, danced and exchanged phone numbers before any physical contact occurred. He described the encounter as mutual, saying it unfolded "in a natural atmosphere" and involved no coercion.

The rapper said he left the venue alone roughly an hour after arriving and had no further interaction with the woman that night. He added that her side reached out to him in December demanding an apology over what she described as a sexual assault, a claim he rejected because he believed it was untrue, prompting her to file a formal complaint.

The first hearing in the case is scheduled for Sept. 2 at the Seoul Southern District Court, where E Sens will have the opportunity to formally contest the allegations before a judge.