Broadcaster Park Soo Hong’s sister-in-law fined for defamation.
On December 11th KST, the Seoul Western District Court sentenced Park Soo Hong’s sister-in-law to a fine of 12 million KRW (approximately 8,400 USD) for defamation under the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection.
The sister-in-law was accused of sharing false information about Park Soo Hong and his wife, Kim Da Ye, in a group chat on social media.
The court found that she falsely claimed to have frequently seen a woman, presumed to be Park’s live-in girlfriend, despite having no direct evidence or witnessing any events inside their home. Instead, the alleged sightings occurred in a parking lot. The court ruled that her actions, even if she believed the claims to be true, were unjustifiable.
The judge stated, “The defendants likely intended to tarnish Park Soo Hong’s reputation and create favorable public opinion in their legal disputes. Given Park’s public figure status, the defamation significantly impacted his reputation, and the false information had the potential to spread widely online, exacerbating the harm.” The court also criticized the sister-in-law for focusing on her family’s situation without offering credible explanations.
Meanwhile, Park Soo Hong’s older brother and sister-in-law are undergoing an appellate trial for charges of embezzlement under the Act on Aggravated Punishment for Specific Economic Crimes.
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