A 30-year-old woman, known only as A, has been fined 3 million won after making defamatory comments about singer and actress IU.
On December 3, the Criminal Division 16 of the Seoul Central District Court sentenced A to pay a 3 million won fine after she was charged with defamation.
A was accused of posting four negative comments about IU in April 2022, criticizing IU’s statements, clothing, and singing abilities. The prosecution had initially requested a 4-month prison sentence for A.
A's defense lawyer acknowledged the allegations, confirming that A admitted to posting the comments but argued that they were just her opinions about a public figure, not meant to defame her. The defense insisted that the comments did not qualify as defamation.
In her final statement, A explained, "I suffer from mental illness, and my language skills have declined, which led to poorly written comments. I didn’t mean to hurt IU’s reputation. I was just expressing my personal preferences." She also expressed regret, saying, "I will be more careful with my words in the future when discussing public figures. Please consider this case fairly."
Before the verdict was given, A attended the hearing wearing a black coat. The court asked if she had come to an agreement with IU, but A confirmed that no agreement had been made.
The court concluded, "Looking at the overall context, the comments went beyond expressing an opinion and became an insulting and disrespectful attack. This is considered defamation, as per the Supreme Court’s ruling." The court also took into account A’s past criminal record related to defamation, which had previously led to a fine.
Source (1)
