Appeal for apology rejected..Park Soo-hong's sister-in-law sentenced to fine in second trial over 'false rumor of cohabitation with a lion' [Comprehensive]

*This content was translated by AI.

The court has sentenced Park Soo-hong's sister-in-law, Ms. Lee, who was brought to trial for spreading false information and defaming the broadcaster and his wife, to a fine.

On the 23rd, the Seoul Western District Court Criminal Appeals Division 1 held a sentencing hearing for Ms. Lee on charges of violating the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection (defamation), and imposed a fine of 12 million won.

The court ruled that day: "Although Ms. Lee claimed her KakaoTalk messages had no potential to spread, she specifically detailed trial-related matters to acquaintances, and those acquaintances left comments on articles regarding the embezzlement allegations raised by Park Soo-hong, leading to an investigation. Thus, Ms. Lee's statements are deemed to have public interest."

Furthermore, "Ms. Lee did not explicitly state that Park Soo-hong was cohabiting with a woman and claimed her remarks were not intentional. However, even without having met or witnessed the woman in question, she said that simply knowing they lived in the same apartment would be enough to 'give acquaintances a lead so they could dig deeper on their own.' Such statements constitute the dissemination of false facts and are not legally acceptable."

Ms. Lee was indicted for transmitting messages containing false information, including claims that Park Soo-hong was cohabiting with a woman during his broadcasting activities, in a KakaoTalk group chat with the intent to defame him and his wife.

According to the Prosecution Service, Ms. Lee is suspected of spreading false information in a KakaoTalk group chat for the purpose of defaming Park Soo-hong. Investigation results revealed that messages such as "Park Soo-hong's words are lies" and "Park Soo-hong is currently cohabiting with a certain woman" were exchanged in the group chat, and it was also discovered that Ms. Lee, who was inside the group chat, posted these contents on online communities.

Previously, the Seoul Western District Court Criminal Division 9, which served as the first-instance court, sentenced Ms. Lee to a fine of 12 million won at her sentencing hearing, finding that charges of defamation and slander were established. During the closing arguments in that trial, the Prosecution Service requested a prison sentence of 10 months for Ms. Lee, stating: "She spread false information about a celebrity in a group chat, damaging their reputation. The crime is not minor. She denies the charges and shows no remorse. She has taken no measures to help the victim recover from the harm, and the victim also seeks severe punishment."

At that time, the court ruled in its decision: "Regarding Ms. Lee's slander via group chat claiming Park Soo-hong was cohabiting with a woman, there is no evidence that she directly witnessed a woman presumed to be his live-in partner when Park appeared on 'My Little Old Boy.' The location of alleged sighting was also not inside the house but in the parking lot. Even if it were true that women's items were found in Park Soo-hong's home, such items could naturally exist between lovers."

The court continued: "Despite having no direct evidence of witnessing a woman, Ms. Lee frequently claimed in the group chat as if she often saw 'a woman always there' and had others spread this information. Even if Ms. Lee asked about truthful facts, the act itself cannot be considered justified." The court added: "Currently, with Park Soo-hong's older brother and Ms. Lee involved in a legal dispute that has drawn public attention, it appears she sought to shape public opinion in her favor, showing strong intent to defame Park Soo-hong. She transmitted the defamatory content directly into the chat room and executed actions to spread it further through internet article comments. Given Park Soo-hong's profession, the degree of defamation is significant, and false information can spread via the internet, causing substantial harm. Yet Ms. Lee only presents her own and her family's situation with unconvincing excuses, making no effort to seek forgiveness from the victim."

In the subsequent second trial, the Prosecution Service requested that the court reject the defendant's appeal and impose a 10-month prison sentence, consistent with the original prosecution request.

Ms. Lee's lawyer again denied the charges and argued for acquittal. The lawyer stated: "It is difficult to conclude that the prosecutor's allegations have been proven beyond reasonable doubt." He continued: "The defendant witnessed women's belongings at the victim's home on multiple occasions, providing substantial reason to believe the victim was living with a woman." He further added: "After the victim publicized family property issues through the media, the defendant sought to explain her and her family's unjust treatment and correct factual misunderstandings. Her primary motive was not defamation but clarification. The response was strongly defensive in nature."

However, during her final statement, Ms. Lee said: "Although this conversation with acquaintances was extremely personal, I apologize for hurting Park Soo-hong and Kim Da-ye through it. I feel ashamed of my unwise and rash words and actions. I have realized how foolish and shameful my behavior was. I deeply reflect on this and vow that such an incident will never happen again. I will strive to be a mother whom my children do not need to be ashamed of."

Earlier, during the first trial's closing arguments, Ms. Lee tearfully stated: "As an ordinary housewife, I married and lived with my children and in-laws for 20 years. Yet, due to a single comment, I was labeled as someone who embezzled 11.6 billion won, and criticism toward my children followed. As a result, my daughter suffered mental trauma and is undergoing psychiatric treatment and psychological counseling." She continued: "Nevertheless, the case against us is still ongoing. It has been very difficult, but we are trying to endure and overcome it," repeatedly requesting leniency.

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*This content was translated by AI.