“Pay 35 million won in damages” ... Joo Ho-min and his wife lose lawsuit against YouTuber PPKKa

[Financial News] Webtoon artist Joo Ho-min and his wife lost a damages lawsuit for defamation against YouTuber PPKKa. The court ruled that even if some of the remarks were inaccurate or exaggerated, they could be viewed as criticism on a matter of public interest.
According to Sisa Journal on the 27th, Suwon District Court ruled in favor of Park on the 20th in the first trial of the damages suit filed by Joo Ho-min and his wife against Park, who operates the YouTube channel PPKKa.
The lawsuit stemmed from a video about the case in which the couple accused their son’s special education teacher of child abuse. Last year, they sued Park, alleging that Park had spread false information and defamed them with insulting remarks, seeking 35 million won in damages for emotional distress plus interest for delay.
The couple took issue with the video’s coverage of claims that Joo Ho-min’s wife had asked for the sex education instructor to be replaced and had contacted their son’s homeroom teacher at all hours, including on weekends. They also argued that describing them as “people who don’t know how to be grateful and stab others in the back” and “typical parents who throw their weight around” constituted defamation.
However, the court focused on the fact that the video was based on publicly available material, including media reports about an incident that had drawn public attention at the time. It ruled that even if some of Park’s remarks were inaccurate or exaggerated, he had expressed his opinions based on publicly reported facts.
The court said, “It is difficult to conclude that the video was posted solely to disparage the Joo couple or that its poster knew the claims were false,” adding, “Even if they felt offended by Park’s remarks, it is difficult to find that they substantially exceeded what people are generally expected to tolerate in the course of criticism on a matter of public interest.”
Separately, the criminal trial of the special education teacher whom Joo Ho-min and his wife accused of child abuse is pending before the Supreme Court.
In February 2024, the special education teacher had the imposition of a 2 million won fine deferred in the first trial. However, the appeals court did not admit as evidence the recording obtained by Joo Ho-min’s wife after she placed a recording device in their son’s clothes. It ruled that the recording constituted a “conversation between other people that was not made public” under the Protection of Communications Secrets Act. The court therefore overturned the first-instance ruling and acquitted the teacher.
Joo Ho-min recently asked for an exception to the ban on third-party recordings in cases where abuse of children with developmental disabilities is suspected. To support the request, he submitted a petition bearing the signatures of about 24,000 people to the Supreme Court.


[email protected] Han Seung-gon Reporter