According to trot singer Kim Da-hyun‘s agency on April 21, the Daegu District Court’s 6th Criminal Division, presided over by Judge Yoo Sung-hyun, sentenced the 58-year-old defendant to 4 months in prison, suspended for 2 years, for defamation through online insults.
The man was indicted for posting a total of 73 insulting messages targeting Kim Da-hyun, and 67 additional posts about her father, a well-known public figure in education, on a broadcasting station’s online viewer forum between July and November 2023.
The court emphasized in its ruling, “Given the number and nature of the posts, the victims — especially the young female celebrity likely experienced considerable psychological distress. The level of culpability is high.”
The celebrity’s legal representative, Kim Kyung-eun of Inui Law Firm, commented, “Public figures also deserve to have their dignity respected. Especially when the target is a young celebrity and their family, the impact of such baseless and malicious posts can be profound.”
She added, “Freedom of expression must not infringe on another’s honor. We hope this decision serves as a deterrent and brings an end to hurtful online behavior.”
The case is seen as a meaningful step by the judiciary to address the ongoing issue of cyberbullying and malicious online behavior toward public figures.
