Lawsuit Filed by Former President Roh Moo-hyun's Son Geonho Against Kyohaksa
Court Recommends Settlement: Kyohaksa to Donate a Certain Amount to the Donation Destination Desired by Geonho
[Asia Economy Reporter Shinwon Yoon] The court has recommended reconciliation between the parties in a lawsuit filed by Geonho Roh, son of former President Roh Moo-hyun, against the publisher Gyohaksa, who included a doctored photo disparaging former President Roh in a Korean history reference book, causing him mental distress.
According to the legal community on the 18th, Chief Judge Kim Gukhyeon of the Civil Division 15 at Seoul Southern District Court issued a reconciliation recommendation ordering the defendant Gyohaksa to donate a certain amount to a charity of the plaintiff's choice.
The court also ordered the publisher to publish an apology in a daily newspaper. If the publisher does not wish to publish the apology, they must make an additional donation equivalent to the cost of the publication. Although the specific charity and donation amount have not been disclosed, the court recommended an amount not exceeding 100 million won.
Originally, Mr. Roh claimed 1 billion won from Gyohaksa.
If both Mr. Roh and Gyohaksa accept the court's reconciliation recommendation, the lawsuit will be terminated. The reconciliation recommendation has the same effect as a settlement in court, making appeals or further appeals impossible. However, if either party submits an objection, the trial will resume and the lawsuit will continue.
The Roh Moo-hyun Foundation stated, "We are reviewing whether to accept the court's recommendation."
The deadline for submitting objections is the 24th, which is 14 days after the decision document is delivered.
Earlier, around March last year, Gyohaksa caused controversy by including in the "Korean History Proficiency Test Advanced Latest Basic Textbook" a photo that superimposed former President Roh's face onto that of a character from the TV drama "Chuno." This photo was circulated on the far-right online community "Ilgan Best Storage" with the intent to mock former President Roh.
Last year, Mr. Roh filed a civil lawsuit at the Southern District Court and also submitted a complaint to the Seoul Western District Prosecutors' Office requesting punishment of Gyohaksa officials for defamation and insult.
The prosecution handed the complaint over to the police, who after investigation concluded that it did not constitute "specific false statements" and forwarded the case with a recommendation for non-prosecution (no charges). In November last year, the prosecution decided not to indict due to insufficient evidence.
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