"Are You Going to Park Like This?" 20s Fined for Defamation by Stating Facts Online

Court: "Defamation by Stating Facts"

A person in their 20s was sentenced to a fine for repeatedly posting photos of a neighbor's car parked outside the parking lines, along with defamatory comments, on the internet.

A person in their 20s was fined on charges of posting a defamatory article about a neighboring resident. Online community

On September 3, the Daegu District Court Criminal Division 11 (Judge Jeon Myunghwan) announced that it had sentenced Mr. A, who was indicted on charges of violating the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection, to a fine of 2 million won.

From September to December 2023, Mr. A posted on an online community a photo of a Mercedes-Benz sedan parked outside the parking lines, along with the comment, "Mercedes-Benz owner, how long are you going to keep parking like this?" and "Do you think the residents are idiots?"

Mr. A was brought to trial on charges of posting mocking comments five times in the community, such as, "You always act like that and then go to the management office complaining about who spit on your car or who dinged your door, making a fuss," and "Are you going to keep doing this for years? Why are you so shameless?"

The court ruled, "The defendant publicly stated facts with the intent to defame the victim, thereby damaging the victim's reputation."