Baek Yoon-sik's Ex-Lover in False Accusation Case Receives 7 Million Won Fine Reduction in Appeal Trial

"Considering the Defendant's Admission and Remorse"

Actor Baek Yoon-sik's ex-lover, who was prosecuted for falsely accusing him of forging a settlement agreement, received a reduced sentence in the appellate court.

The Seoul Central District Court Criminal Appeal Division 8-2 (Presiding Judges Choi Hae-il, Choi Jin-sook, Kim Jeong-gon) sentenced defendant A, who was charged with false accusation, to a fine of 7 million won on the 14th, according to Yonhap News. In the first trial, A was sentenced to one year in prison with a two-year probation and was also ordered to perform 120 hours of community service.

A, a former broadcast journalist, broke up with Baek Yoon-sik in 2013. Afterwards, A claimed that he was assaulted by Baek’s sons and alleged that Baek had another woman he had been dating for 20 years. In 2022, A published an essay collection detailing the process from meeting Baek to their breakup. In response, Baek filed a lawsuit against the publisher of A’s book, seeking to ban its publication and sales, claiming that A violated the settlement agreement.

Subsequently, A was accused of falsely accusing Baek of forging the settlement agreement, alleging that Baek had never signed such an agreement with him but forged it and submitted it as evidence in court. Although A claimed that Baek forged a settlement agreement containing a 'non-disclosure of private life' clause, the prosecution judged that A himself had drafted an agreement in the past agreeing not to disclose any disputes with Baek and to compensate if violated, but breached the agreement by publishing the book. When A faced a large compensation claim for violating the agreement and exposing private matters in the book, he accused Baek of forgery as a false accusation.

In the first trial, the court stated, "It is reasonable to conclude that the defendant had a definite intent to falsely accuse at the time of the crime," and criticized, "The defendant’s claim that the settlement agreement was forged to avoid civil liability is of very poor character." The appellate court explained the reason for the reduced sentence, saying, "The defendant admitted to the crime and showed remorse from the first trial," and "Through the meeting and breakup with Baek, the defendant was burdened with criticism from fellow journalists for immature behavior, and later appeared to be in a deteriorated state due to alcoholism and depression."

Meanwhile, the lawsuit Baek filed against the publisher to ban the publication and sales was partially won by the plaintiff in a Supreme Court ruling confirmed in July last year.