40s Convicted in First Trial for 'Defamatory Post' about Han Dong-hoon's Daughter…Fined 500,000 Won

[Financial News] A man in his 40s who wrote a defamatory post about the daughter of Han Dong-hoon, former representative of the People Power Party, on an online community has been fined.
According to the legal community on the 23rd, Judge Lee Jong-woo of the Seoul Central District Court Criminal Division 22 sentenced Mr. A, who was indicted for insult, to a fine of 500,000 won.
Mr. A was brought to trial on charges of using derogatory language towards the daughter of the former representative on the online community DC Inside in May 2022. He also attached a photo of the former representative to the post.
It was revealed that Mr. A mentioned the daughter of Cho Kuk, former representative of the Cho Kuk Innovation Party, and wrote a post reminiscent of the 'false spec suspicion' of the daughter of the former representative, who was then a candidate for Minister of Justice.
During the trial, Mr. A claimed that there was no intent to insult, but this was not accepted.
The court judged, "The posted content is insulting as it damages the personal value of others, and the intent is acknowledged in light of the content of the post."
It further pointed out, "Criticism of politicians should be broadly guaranteed, but baseless criticism or insulting expressions towards their unrelated family members should be approached with caution. When suspicions about the victim are not based on facts but used as a political attack tool against a specific politician, even more caution is required."
It also added, "The victim's misconduct has not been confirmed, and no reasonable grounds have been presented, which seems to be a political attack tool by the opposing political force."

jisseo@fnnews.com Seo Min-ji Reporter