Author Who Claimed "Noh Sa-yeon's Father Led Civilian Massacre" Cleared of Defamation Charges

No Prosecution Due to Insufficient Evidence

Singer No Sa-yeon filed a defamation of the deceased charge against writer Kim Joo-wan in August, claiming that he defamed her father's honor, but the police have dismissed the case.

According to the police on the 20th, the Seoul Jungbu Police Station sent a notification of investigation results to writer Kim on the 4th, stating "no charges due to insufficient evidence, case not forwarded."

At the funeral ceremony of veteran singer the late Hyunmi (real name Kim Myung-sun) held at Chung-Ang University Hospital Funeral Hall in Dongjak-gu, Seoul, singer Noh Sa-yeon is paying tribute.
[Photo by Joint Coverage]

Earlier, the visit of sisters No Sa-yeon and No Sa-bong to offer condolences for President Yoon Seok-yeol's father's funeral on August 16 became a topic of discussion. At that time, writer Kim posted on his social media service (SNS) a post titled "No Sa-yeon and No Sa-bong sisters' father, Sergeant No Yang-hwan," claiming that "No Yang-hwan was a sergeant of the Special Unit (CIC) Masan Dispatch Unit who led the civilian massacre incident in the Masan area during the Korean War."

Kim also wrote, "Although the dispatch commanders of the special units in each region were lieutenant colonels at the time, the sergeant was the actual person responsible on site," and "No Yang-hwan was included in the list of accused when the victims' families association, formed shortly after the April 19 Revolution, filed charges against those responsible for the massacre."

In response, No Sa-yeon's side hired a legal representative and rebutted, "The late Sergeant No Yang-hwan was working as an investigator in the counterintelligence unit during the National Guidance Alliance incident, so he was not involved at all in the Masan massacre incident or in commanding the site." They then filed a defamation of the deceased complaint against writer Kim at the Seoul Jungbu Police Station. Kim appeared for an accused investigation at the Masan Jungbu Police Station, his place of residence, on the 7th of last month.

On the 19th, Kim posted a photo of the notification letter from the Seoul Jungbu Police Station regarding the non-prosecution investigation results on his SNS, stating, "My writing that No Yang-hwan was a sergeant of the Special Unit (CIC) Masan Dispatch Unit who led the civilian massacre during the Korean War, and that sergeants were the actual persons responsible on site in each special unit at the time, has been proven 'not to be false information.'"