Famous BJ Threatened Victim Dies... 1 Billion Won Claim, 15 Million Won Judgment

On the 31st, according to the legal community, the Incheon District Court's Civil Division 16 ruled in June that B (41) must pay 15 million won to the plaintiff in a lawsuit filed by the family of A (then 33). The court found that B's defamation actions clearly caused the deceased mental harm, but concluded that there was insufficient causation between the crime and the death.

The family argued, "The deceased was shocked by B's appeal and made an extreme choice," and claimed, "The defendant has an obligation to compensate for the damage." However, the court did not recognize a direct connection, citing that the deceased continued with a name change and work life after the incident. The family then lowered the claim to 300 million won and appealed, with the appellate ruling postponed from the scheduled date of the 29th due to additional adjustment procedures.

The deceased's father stated, "It's unacceptable to deny causation when my daughter even changed her name due to the damage," and expressed concern that "the adjustment process may favor the defendant."

B was indicted in 2020 for threatening to expose the private life of his ex-girlfriend A on his personal AfreecaTV broadcast. After receiving a breakup notice, he sent false information to media reporters via email and posted on the bulletin board of the victim's workplace, continuing defamation and attempted coercion crimes.

In February 2023, A collapsed from an overdose about 20 days after B was sentenced to one year in prison with a two-year probation in the first criminal trial, and remained unconscious until passing away in September of the same year. B was sentenced to two years and six months in prison with a four-year probation in the appellate trial, and the sentence was finalized by the Supreme Court in July last year.