YouTubers Claiming 'Lee Jin-suk's War Correspondent Experience is False' Fined 1 Million Won

Court Recognizes "Defamation Intent"

YouTubers who claimed that candidate Lee Jin-sook, nominee for the Chairperson of the Korea Communications Commission, had false war correspondent experience were sentenced to fines.

Candidate Lee Jin-sook for the Chairperson of the Korea Communications Commission expresses her stance upon arriving at the confirmation hearing office set up near the Government Gwacheon Complex in Gyeonggi on the 8th. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

On the 19th, Judge Jung Yu-mi of the Seoul Southern District Court Criminal Division 11 sentenced three YouTubers, including Song (age 55), who were indicted for violating the Information and Communications Network Act (defamation), to fines of 1 million KRW each.

The court stated, "The statements were not merely raising doubts about the victim's war correspondent experience but categorically declared it as false," and added, "Considering that it can be verified through internet searches that the victim reported from Baghdad, it can be concluded that there was a false perception." Furthermore, the court explained, "Taking into account the defendants' manner and content of expression, the extent to which the victim's social evaluation was lowered, and the defendants' efforts to verify facts, the purpose of defamation is also recognized."

Earlier, in August 2021, when candidate Lee joined President Yoon Seok-yeol's presidential campaign as a media special advisor, YouTubers claimed that her war correspondent experience was false. After receiving a summary order for a fine of 1.5 million KRW in February last year, they requested a formal trial.