Posted Defamatory Comments on Online Cafe... Fine of 300,000 Won
Netizens who wrote malicious comments targeting the friend of the late Son Jeong-min, who was found dead five days after going missing at Banpo Hangang Park in April 2021, have been sentenced to fines.
According to Yonhap News on the 19th, Jeon Il-ho, presiding judge of the Criminal Division 7 at Gwangju District Court, sentenced A (44), who was indicted for violating the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection (defamation), to a fine of 300,000 KRW.
A was charged with posting defamatory slanderous posts damaging the reputation of Son’s friend B on an internet cafe sharing suspicions about the incident on May 20, 2021. At the time, he commented on a post related to Son Jeong-min posted by a cafe member, saying, "Tell (Son Jeong-min’s) father to kneel and beg. He called him and died, but he never apologized and cowardly hides behind a lawyer." A also wrote a post stating, "The day after the disappearance, he threw away his shoes, changed his family’s cell phones, and acted below common sense."
Judge Jeon pointed out, "A’s posts caused great mental distress to the victim and his family, and A made no particular effort to restore the damage." Regarding the sentencing, he explained, "However, consideration was given to A’s confession and remorse, his first offense, and the circumstances leading to the crime."
May 10, 2021, items commemorating the late Son Jeong-min placed at Banpo Hangang Park, Seoul. [Photo by Yonhap News]
Son’s friend B drank with him at Banpo Hangang Park on the morning of April 24, 2021, the day before Son went missing. Son was later found drowned in the Han River near the disappearance site on April 30 of the same month. To clarify the cause of Son’s death, the police analyzed CCTV footage near Hangang Park, vehicle black box videos, conducted witness investigations, and investigated B and his family, including forensic analysis of electronic devices such as cell phones. Ultimately, they concluded that "there was no evidence of homicide" and closed the case.
However, as various slanders against B, who was with Son at the end, continued, B’s side responded with legal action. B’s side first sued YouTubers and freelance reporters for defamation, then filed complaints against hundreds of comment writers for violating the Information and Communications Network Act and insult charges.
Meanwhile, Son’s bereaved family sued B for charges of assault causing death and abandonment causing death, but a decision not to prosecute was made.
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