[Breaking News] Supreme Court Confirms Yoo Si-min Guilty of 'Han Dong-hoon Defamation'... 5 Million Won Fine

Former Minister of Justice Han Dong-hoon’s reputation was damaged after he stated that he had examined the accounts of the Roh Moo-hyun Foundation and his own while serving as head of the Anti-Corruption and Strong Crime Division at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office. The guilty verdict against former Roh Moo-hyun Foundation director Yoo Si-min, who was tried for defamation, has been finalized.

On the 17th, the Supreme Court’s 3rd Division (Presiding Justice Noh Jung-hee) dismissed both the prosecutor’s and Yoo’s appeals in the defamation case related to a radio broadcast, upholding the original ruling which imposed a fine of 5 million won.

The court explained the reason for dismissing the appeals, stating, "There is no error in the lower court’s judgment that violates the rules of logic and experience, exceeds the limits of free evaluation of evidence, or misinterprets the legal principles regarding the establishment of defamation by radio."

In December 2019, Yoo Si-min said on his YouTube broadcast 'Yoo Si-min’s Alileo,' "I will not disclose how I confirmed it for now, but I verified that the prosecution had looked into the main bank account of the Roh Moo-hyun Foundation."

Afterward, Yoo continued raising suspicions on radio broadcasts, saying, "When Han Dong-hoon, then head of the Anti-Corruption and Strong Crime Division, was monitoring the situation during the Cho Kuk incident while I was hosting Alileo, the Supreme Prosecutors' Office was monitoring in real time," and added, "It would be a lie to say they were not interested. So they thought, 'We can’t leave this as is. Let’s find something,' and it seems they also looked into the Roh Moo-hyun Foundation’s accounts..."

Furthermore, on July 24, 2020, when the prosecution’s Channel A case investigation review committee was held, Yoo pointed to former Minister Han on a radio broadcast, saying, "It is highly likely that the Anti-Corruption and Strong Crime Division, where prosecutor Han Dong-hoon was, looked into the Roh Moo-hyun Foundation’s accounts."

However, in January 2021, Yoo issued an apology statement through the foundation.

In the statement, he said, "Everyone has the right to raise suspicions, but when exercising that right, one must bear the burden of proof. However, I failed to prove the suspicions I raised. I judge that those suspicions were not true."

He continued, "Above all, I sincerely apologize to all those involved in the prosecution for causing suspicion that the prosecution surveilled me due to unfounded allegations," and added, "I do not think an apology alone is sufficient, and I will humbly accept any form of accountability."

Previously, in the first and second trials, the prosecution sought a one-year prison sentence, but only some charges were recognized as guilty, resulting in a fine of 5 million won.