Prosecution Appeals Not Guilty Verdict for Prosecutor Jin Hye-won in 'Kim Geon-hee Defamation' Case

Charges Including Violation of National Public Officials Act and Defamation

The prosecution has appealed the acquittal of Jin Hyewon, deputy chief prosecutor of the Busan District Prosecutors' Office (48), who was accused of mocking First Lady Kim Geon-hee, wife of President Yoon Seok-yeol, by calling her 'Julie' on social networking services (SNS).

[Image source=Yonhap News]

According to the Seoul Western District Prosecutors' Office on the 26th, the prosecution filed an appeal against the first trial verdict that acquitted Prosecutor Jin, who was charged with violating the National Public Service Act, the Public Official Election Act, and defamation.

Prosecutor Jin is accused of damaging Kim’s reputation by posting a past photo of the First Lady on her SNS on September 14, 2022, along with the comment, "I don’t know if you know how to spell Julie."

At the end of the post, Prosecutor Jin also used the English word "Prosetitute," which seems to imply "prostitute." Jin argued that the word is a neologism combining "Prosecutor" and "Institute."

The first trial court explained, "The defendant did not directly state that the victim is Julie or that Julie is a prostitute," adding, "The spelling of the neologism differs from the English word meaning prostitute, and it has already been confirmed that the word has been used as a neologism criticizing the prosecution organization."

Prosecutor Jin was also acquitted in the first trial of charges that she violated the duty of political neutrality by supporting and criticizing specific political parties through Facebook posts in 2019 while maintaining her duties as a prosecutor.

Previously, the prosecution had sought a one-year prison sentence and one-year disqualification for violating the National Public Service Act, as well as a six-month prison sentence for defamation, arguing that Prosecutor Jin, as a public official with a duty of political neutrality, had consistently expressed support or criticism for specific parties and individuals.