Spreading False Information About Chey Tae-won's Partner... YouTuber in His 70s Receives Suspended Prison Sentence in First Trial

Not Guilty on the Claim That "Chairman Chey Tae-won Spent 100 Billion Won"

A YouTuber who was brought to trial for spreading false information about Chey Tae-won, Chairman of SK Group, and Kim Heeyoung, Chairperson of the T&C Foundation, has been sentenced to a suspended prison term.

Chairman Chey Tae-won of SK Group (left) and Director Noh So-young of Art Center Nabi. Photo by Kim Hyunmin

Seo Younghyo, the presiding judge of the 11th Criminal Division at the Seoul Northern District Court, sentenced Park (70), a YouTuber charged with defamation under the Information and Communications Network Act, to one year in prison, suspended for three years.

Park was accused of posting videos and articles on his YouTube channel and blog from June to October 2024, making baseless claims about Chairman Chey and Chairperson Kim, including rumors of a 100 billion won gift, allegations of interference with their child’s employment, and other false statements about their family. The court found Park guilty of spreading various falsehoods about Chairperson Kim. However, Park was acquitted of the charge that Chairman Chey spent 100 billion won on Chairperson Kim and the child born between them, as the court did not find sufficient evidence for this claim.

The court stated, "As of June 2024, according to the defendant’s initial statements on YouTube, it appears that Chairman Chey spent an enormous amount of money on his partner, their child, and her family, or to support her personal and professional activities. While the specific amount of 100 billion won was not recognized, the court considered that the figure was used symbolically by the defendant to highlight the astronomical sum allegedly spent."

Park is known to be a long-time acquaintance and close associate of Noh Soyoung, Director of Art Center Nabi, whose divorce from Chairman Chey has been finalized. He has been active in broadcasting, claiming to be the "fan club president," and is also reported to have participated in future studies societies alongside Director Noh.

In November last year, prosecutors sought a one-year prison sentence for Park. In his final statement at the time, Park said, "I acted out of sympathy for Director Noh’s efforts to protect her family," and added, "(My remarks on YouTube) were exaggerated because I became emotional while answering the anchor’s questions. I deeply regret my actions."