Choo Mi-ae Ordered to Pay 2 Million Won in Damages for Revealing Reporter’s Real Name and Number

Former Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae / Photo by Dongju Yoon doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Daehyun] A court ruling has determined that former Minister of Justice Chu Mi-ae must pay 2 million won in damages for disclosing a reporter's real name and phone number on social networking services (SNS).

On the 29th, Senior Judge Kim Changbo of the Seoul Central District Court Civil Division 1004 ruled in the first trial of a 20 million won damages lawsuit filed by internet media reporter A against former Minister Chu, ordering her to pay 2 million won and partially ruling in favor of the plaintiff.

Earlier, on October 21 of last year, reporter A reported that former Minister Chu and other key figures of the Democratic Party of Korea took photos with a person presumed to be a core member of the Seongnam International Mafia faction.

In response, former Minister Chu posted on her Facebook, revealing text messages exchanged with the reporter, writing, "Young reporter! I hope you do not get tainted too quickly and do not age."

Through the disclosed text messages, the reporter's real name and phone number were fully exposed. Some criticized former Minister Chu, suggesting that she might have engaged in so-called 'targeting' by leaking the reporter's information to ruling party supporters. Subsequently, former Minister Chu obscured part of the phone number.