[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] Ji Man-won, a conservative commentator who was convicted of defamation for falsely accusing citizens who participated in the May 18 Democratic Movement as North Korean special forces, was incarcerated in a detention center on the 16th.
On that day, Ji was transported by a prison van from the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office to the Seoul Detention Center. He was prosecuted for repeatedly defaming citizens appearing in photos taken during the May 18 Democratic Movement on his internet homepage by referring to them as "Gwangsu," a term meaning "North Korean special forces active in Gwangju." On the 12th, the Supreme Court upheld the original sentence of two years in prison for Ji.
Although Ji was sentenced to imprisonment in both the first and second trials, he avoided detention due to his advanced age and the COVID-19 situation. However, with the Supreme Court's final ruling, the sentence was enforced on this day. Ji issued a statement regarding the Supreme Court's decision, claiming, "I submitted 42 pieces of evidence that make it impossible not to believe in North Korean military involvement, but the first, second, and third trials ignored this and made an absurd judgment. They are not judges but the boots of the People's Army."
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