Woman in Her 30s Fined ₩3 Million for Defaming IU “NO Settlement for ‘Mental Illness’ Commenter”
On Dec 3rd, the Seoul Central District Court’s Criminal Division 16 sentenced A to a fine of ₩3 million for charges of insult.
A was indicted without detention for posting four derogatory comments in April 2022 about IU’s remarks, attire and singing abilities.
The prosecution had initially requested a four-month prison sentence for A.
During the trial, A’s lawyer acknowledged the facts of the posts but argued that they were merely opinions about a public figure and did not constitute defamation. The charges were denied on this basis.
In her final statement, A claimed, “I am a patient suffering from a mental illness, and my linguistic abilities have weakened, resulting in underdeveloped writing skills. My comments cannot be considered an attempt to lower IU’s reputation but were simply expressions of personal taste.” She further added, “I will be more cautious and selective in my words when expressing opinions on matters of public interest. Please review this case without prejudice and grant a fair ruling.”
Appearing in court for sentencing while not in custody, A wore a black coat. Before delivering the verdict, the court inquired if A had reached a settlement with IU. A responded that no agreement had been made.
The court ruled, “Based on the context and usual interpretation of the comments, the expressions are deemed insulting and derogatory, amounting to personal attacks. According to Supreme Court precedents, these comments exceed the boundaries of opinion and constitute defamation.” The court further explained, “The nature and circumstances of the crime, along with A’s previous conviction for defamation resulting in a fine, were considered in determining the sentence.”
IU has consistently taken a firm legal stance against malicious commenters. On November 11, her agency, EDAM Entertainment, released an update on criminal complaints for 2023-2024.
The agency stated, “There have been over 180 defendants to date, with additional lawsuits continuing,” and explained, “There have been six cases resulting in fines (summary penalties), three cases of deferred prosecution with conditions of education completion, and one case of deferred prosecution with conditions of probation service.”
The agency continued, “We have also secured personal information on some individuals using overseas servers for illegal activities or residing abroad. Among them, some are suspected to be IU’s former middle school classmates, and despite the ongoing investigations, they have continued to harass IU. We are currently addressing this. For malicious commenters using overseas IP addresses or residing abroad, we have requested cooperation from relevant agencies, and the investigation into tracking them has made progress. We want to make it clear that there will be no settlements or leniency.”
Source: Daum