Han Dong-hoon's Former Representative's Daughter Defamed by a Man in His 40s, Fined
A man in his 40s has been fined by the court for defaming Han Dong-hoon's daughter, the former representative of the People Power Party, using profanity on an online community.
On the 23rd, Judge Lee Jong-woo of the Seoul Central District Court sentenced Mr. A to a fine of 500,000 won for charges of insult during a trial held on the 17th.
Mr. A is accused of using derogatory language to refer to the former representative's daughter while posting a message on the online community 'DC Inside' in May 2022, which included a photograph of Han Dong-hoon.
As a result of the investigation, it was revealed that Mr. A had written a post that alluded to allegations of 'false qualifications' associated with Han's daughter, who was then a candidate for the Minister of Justice, while mentioning the daughter of former Justice Party leader, Joko.
During the trial, Mr. A's defense claimed that there was no intention to insult in the post, but the court did not accept this argument.
The court stated, "Considering the content of the post, it constitutes insulting expressions that undermine the personal value of others, and intent can also be recognized in light of the content of the message."
Furthermore, the court pointed out, "While criticism of politicians should be broadly protected, it is necessary to exercise caution regarding baseless accusations or insulting expressions directed at their families, who are not related to politics. It is especially essential to be cautious when such allegations against victims are used as a political attack tool without factual basis against specific politicians."
The court noted, "No corrupt actions by the victim have been confirmed, and no reasonable evidence has been presented, suggesting that this seems to be a political attack by opposing political forces." However, it considered that Mr. A's message was posted only once in the form of a comment on an internet bulletin board when determining the sentence.
Image source: Han Dong-hoon, former representative of the People Power Party / News1, reference photo for understanding the article / gettyimagesbank
