The guilty verdict against Park, the operator of the YouTube channel Sojang, has been finalized.
On January 29, the Supreme Court’s Second Division dismissed Park’s appeal without a hearing, upholding the lower court’s ruling in the case involving violations of the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection (defamation), as well as insult charges. As a result, the original verdict stands.
In the first trial, the court sentenced Park to two years in prison, suspended for three years. The court also ordered the forfeiture of 210 million KRW (146,308 USD) and imposed 120 hours of community service. Park appealed the decision, but the appellate court dismissed the appeal in November last year.
Park was accused of uploading defamatory videos targeting celebrities, including Jang Wonyoung, on the YouTube channel between October 2021 and June 2023. Prosecutors charged Park with spreading rumors on 23 separate occasions.
Investigations further revealed that Park profited financially from the videos. According to prosecutors, Park earned approximately 250 million KRW (174,172 USD) during the operation of the channel and used the criminal proceeds to purchase real estate.
Jang Wonyoung and her agency, Starship Entertainment, also filed separate civil lawsuits against Park, each seeking damages exceeding KRW 100 million. The court ruled that Park must pay 50 million KRW (34,834 USD) each to Jang Wonyoung and Starship Entertainment in compensation.
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