No Reconciliation with YouTuber Claiming Friendship with Mrs. Kim... Lee Young-ae Rejects Court Recommendation

Jeong Cheon-su, Former Open Sympathy TV CEO, Faces Compensation Lawsuit
"Damages Due to False Information" vs "Public Interest and No Illegality"
Court Recommends Settlement... Lee Young-ae "Files Objection"

Actress Lee Young-ae has filed a lawsuit against a YouTuber who reported that she is close to Mrs. Kim Geon-hee. The court recommended reconciliation, but it was not accepted. Lee Young-ae Instagram

Actress Lee Young-ae is currently pursuing a civil lawsuit against a YouTuber who reported that she has a close relationship with First Lady Kim Geon-hee. The court recommended a settlement, but it was not accepted.

According to a report by Newsis on the 14th, the 12th Civil Division of the Seoul Western District Court (Chief Judge Kim Jin-young) issued a settlement recommendation on the 29th of last month regarding the damages lawsuit Lee Young-ae filed against Jeong Cheon-su, former CEO of Open Sympathy TV. A settlement recommendation is a court-initiated suggestion for an amicable resolution during an ongoing trial, and if both parties agree, it has the same effect as a final court judgment.

The court proposed the following conditions for settlement: for the defendant, former CEO Jeong, to delete the problematic video, to prohibit future broadcasts related to the friendship between Lee Young-ae and First Lady Kim Geon-hee, and to reflect the parties’ positions when broadcasting about Lee Young-ae’s political inclinations; for the plaintiff, Lee Young-ae, to withdraw the criminal complaint. However, Lee Young-ae’s side submitted an objection to the court on the 12th, stating that they could not accept the court’s recommendation. With the failure of the settlement, the court will set a new trial date and issue a formal judgment.

Earlier, in September of last year, Lee Young-ae donated 50 million won to the Rhee Syngman Presidential Foundation, delivering a letter stating, "President Rhee Syngman was excessive in some ways, but he laid the foundation for today’s free Republic of Korea." In the same month, Open Sympathy TV reported on its YouTube channel that "First Lady Kim recruited Kim Beom-soo, a former SBS announcer, as an executive director at her company Kobana Contents," and that "Announcer Kim is known to be a sworn brother of Jeong Ho-young, chairman of Korea Raycom (Lee Young-ae’s husband)." The report continued, "In 2012, only a very small number of acquaintances were invited to Chairman Jeong’s twins’ first birthday party, and Announcer Kim attended the event accompanied by First Lady Kim. This is how Chairman Jeong and Lee Young-ae’s couple developed a friendship with First Lady Kim," adding, "Lee Young-ae frequently attended Kobana Contents events and voluntarily promoted them on her social networking services (SNS)."

In response, Lee Young-ae’s agency Group Eight stated, "Former CEO Jeong disparaged Lee Young-ae and spread fake news through his YouTube channel," and filed both a criminal complaint and a civil lawsuit. They also said, "If he had admitted the fake news and apologized, we would not have filed a complaint," and "We waited for over a month for an apology and cessation of the broadcasts. If the report was incorrect, honestly admitting and apologizing is the true attitude of a journalist." However, former CEO Jeong’s side countered, "The content is not false," and "It is for the public interest, so there is no illegality."