A woman in her 40s who had previously been fined for posting malicious comments about singer and actress IU has received an additional fine for a separate offense of defamation.
According to legal sources, on June 5, Judge Lim Jeong Bin of the Seoul Central District Court sentenced the woman, identified only as Ms. Kim, to a fine of 3 million KRW (approximately $2,200) for posting defamatory comments online.
In February 2024, Kim was indicted for leaving a sexually explicit and defamatory comment on a news portal article related to IU's agency, Edam Entertainment. The comment included phrases such as “Did you bribe the judge?” among other offensive remarks.
During the trial, Kim denied posting the comment and argued that it did not specifically identify a victim. Her defense also claimed the comment did not lower IU’s social standing and thus did not constitute defamation. However, the court rejected all these claims.
The judge noted that Kim “has shown no remorse, continues to deny the offense, and has not received forgiveness from the victim.” The court also pointed out that she had two prior convictions for similar offenses.
However, the court took into consideration that “this offense was committed before the indictment of her previous defamation case in December 2023, and she has no record of criminal punishment exceeding a fine,” when determining the sentence.
Kim had previously been fined 3 million KRW (approximately $2,200) in December 2023 for posting four malicious comments about IU on April 10, 2022, targeting her outfits and vocal performance. At the time, she claimed in court that the comments reflected her personal preferences and that she was suffering from a mental health condition, pleading for leniency.
Although prosecutors sought a four-month jail sentence, the court imposed a fine instead.
IU has consistently taken a firm stance against online defamation and malicious comments. Since 2013, she and her agency have pursued aggressive legal action against offenders. In November last year, Edam Entertainment reported that over 180 individuals had been sued, with further lawsuits underway.
The agency also revealed that six individuals had received fines, while others were subjected to conditional indictments involving mandatory education or probation supervision.
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