ZEROBASEONE’s Kim Ji-woong cleared of alleged curse controversy during fan video call; confirms Korea Forensic Science Service | – Times of India

After nearly a fortnight of fervent speculation, the controversy surrounding Kim Ji-woong, a member of ZEROBASEONE, has reached its conclusion. The K-pop idol, who faced accusations of uttering a curse word during a fan video call, has been exonerated of all charges by the Korea Forensic Science Service. Ji-woong’s innocence has been upheld, as forensic analysis revealed no evidence of foul language during the now-viral interaction with a fan.

For those not in the loop, the saga began on February 2, when a snippet of Jiwoong’s video call from ZEROBASEONE’s recent fansign event sent shockwaves across the internet, alleging the singer’s use of an expletive after bidding farewell to a fan. In response to the brewing controversy, a spokesperson from ZEROBASEONE’s agency pledged to employ digital media and forensic techniques to shed light on the situation.
Finally, on February 17, Dispatch unveiled the findings of the voice analysis conducted by the Korea Forensic Science Service (KFSS). The KFSS meticulously scrutinized audio and CCTV footage from the event to ascertain the veracity of the allegations against Jiwoong.

The KFSS dissected three segments of the audio extracted from the brief video shared by the fan on social media: Part A, featuring a polite “thank you”; Part B, allegedly containing the expletive Korean word “shibal”; and Part C, where the phrase “how weird” was heard. In a crucial revelation, the KFSS confirmed that Part A was indeed voiced by Kim Jiwoong, as confirmed by the CCTV footage. However, when it came to Parts B and C, the KFSS concluded that visual evidence was inconclusive in determining the speaker’s identity.
Moreover, the KFSS noted discrepancies in the frequencies between Parts A and B, suggesting the presence of multiple voices in the audio. Based on this analysis, the KFSS deduced, “It seems that the speaker of Part A and the speaker of Part B are different”, thereby absolving Jiwoong of any wrongdoing.

Adding credence to Jiwoong’s innocence, Dispatch further disclosed testimony from a staff member who witnessed the fan video call firsthand. “I do not remember the fan call between Kim Jiwoong and the fan exactly. But I am certain that Kim Ji Woong did not utter any curse words”, the staff member affirmed.
With the forensic analysis and eyewitness testimony firmly in favor of Kim Jiwoong, the clouds of suspicion have finally dispersed.