Actor Kim Boo-sun filed a complaint with the Seongdong Police Station on charges of defamation and identity theft.
Recently, Kim Boo-sun stated through her social media that she filed a complaint against multiple internet users for violations of Article 70, Clause 2 of the Act on Promotion of Information and Communication Network Utilization and Information Protection (defamation through the indication of false facts) and Article 13 of the Special Act on the Punishment of Sexual Violence Crimes (obscene acts using communication media).
The controversial post is titled "The Silence of the Man." It indicates Kim Boo-sun as the author but evokes memories of Lee Jae-myung, who was involved in a scandal with her and was a candidate in the Democratic Party of Korea presidential primary. In the past, Kim Boo-sun claimed to have seen a mole on a specific part of Lee's body while they were having an affair. This content is included in "The Silence of the Man."
In response, Kim Boo-sun expressed, "As an actor, I have endured a great deal of fake news and malicious comments that feel like a terror of sexual assault. I have barely managed to withstand years of enduring the misconception that it is the destiny of actresses to just endure, and due to the aftereffects, I have been living with a dog that cannot speak for nine years," and noted that she has experienced insomnia, social anxiety disorder, loss of self-esteem, and suicidal impulses on several occasions.
She continued, "Many fellow entertainers have taken their own lives due to unfortunate circumstances. The impact of such incidents is beyond imagination, and I believe it creates a crime that makes not only me but also the viewers feel embarrassed and uncomfortable.
The defendant claimed, "The author has impersonated me as the complainant, leading viewers to misinterpret that I have written it, making it read by many people."
In particular, Kim Boo-sun stated, "I believe that Lee Jae-myung is also a victim like me. There is a high possibility that supporters of Lee Jae-myung will misunderstand that I wrote it. Their hatred and curses toward me will be amplified, and as a celebrity living off public popularity, my opportunities for grants will disappear, and the economic damage will be difficult to quantify."
Next is the full text of Kim Boo-sun's statement.
In regard to this incident, I, the complainant, am filing a complaint against the defendant on charges of violations of Article 70, Clause 2 of the Act on Promotion of Information and Communication Network Utilization and Information Protection (defamation through the indication of false facts), identity theft, and Article 13 of the Special Act on the Punishment of Sexual Violence Crimes (obscene acts using communication media) and request for an investigation and strict punishment.
Criminal facts
The defendant has posted on September 26, 2023, at 7:37 a.m.
The screen of the post is attached as evidence.
The relevant post is a malicious criminal act that uses the title and format of the poem "The Silence of the Man" by the national poet Han Yong-un and alters the content to falsely state that the author is Kim Boo-sun, causing feelings of shame as a woman.
It falsely implies that the complainant directly authored the poem by using the name of Kim Boo-sun.
Reasons for the complaint
I, the complainant Kim Boo-sun, am a public cultural artist whose name is well-known and whose face is also recognizable. I declare that I have never written a terrifying poem that is close to pornographic and that it is not my handwriting.
I have seriously suffered from defamation through false facts during a live broadcast on Kim Boo-sun TV, expressing my grievances in tears. One day, a female subscriber who saw this texted me regarding the indiscriminate spread of such posts, and I found it hard to bear the severity of the situation.
When I first saw this post, I experienced humiliation, anger, a sense of injustice, and could even understand the feelings of murderers. How could they commit such a crime? How did their mental state lead them to become criminals? It was confusing, and I was simply afraid of others.
As an actress who has experienced a great deal of fake news and malicious comments portraying me as a victim of sexual assault and terror for many years, I have barely managed to endure the misconception that it is the destiny of actresses to just endure, and for the last nine years, I have been living only with a dog that cannot speak.
When I fall asleep, I unconsciously grind my teeth, ruining my teeth and causing my gums to recede, and I have experienced insomnia, social anxiety disorder, loss of self-esteem, and suicidal impulses on several occasions. I have been living a depressed and unhappy life where I do not want to die or live.
Investigators, entertainers are people with human rights. They often endure more fake news and malicious comments, experiencing character assassination. This leads to severe mental agony, damage to their mental health, loss of self-esteem, and difficulties adapting to social life.
In fact, there have been many unfortunate cases of fellow entertainers taking their own lives. The impact of this is beyond imagination, and I believe it creates crimes that make not only me but also the viewers feel embarrassed and uncomfortable.
The defendant has impersonated the author as the complainant, leading viewers to misinterpret that I have written it and making it read by many people.
It is difficult to estimate how many people may have been misled, and I am suffering from severe mental anguish and economic damage at the same time. The government and investigative agencies have a duty to uncover, punish, and prevent such crimes.
The identity theft and obscene poem is a criminal act that torments and unjustly injures me just by thinking about it.
As an actress living off public popularity, I am the mother of a child, a precious child of my mother, a sister, an aunt, and a valued friend of my neighbors. If they happen to come across this article, they might think, "My mother, my sibling, my aunt, my friends, and my neighbors have gone mad. How did they end up at this point? It is terrifying," and they would misunderstand, distance themselves, and feel repulsed.
The damage caused by this is a cruel reality that I must bear alone.
Additionally, I am suffering from fatal adverse effects on individuals in the entertainment industry, experiencing character assassination, and am incurring immense economic damage that cannot be quantified. This is because entertainers are independent businesspersons.
The counterpart mentioned in the poem is Lee Jae-myung, who ran as a candidate for the Democratic Party of Korea in the 20th Presidential Election. I believe that Lee Jae-myung is also a victim like me.
When I occasionally experience grievances that are hard to bear, my behavior may become harsh, but I have never lied. His supporters also misunderstand and are convinced that I wrote it, and this will amplify the hatred and curses directed at me, leading to lost opportunities for grants as a celebrity living off public popularity, and the economic damage will be difficult to quantify.
This is because entertainers have a special profession and are individual businesspersons. These criminal acts should be treated as serious offenses.
Just because these actions are written lightly while hiding anonymously online does not mean they are minor crimes; they are serious offenses.
If these crimes are not severely punished and left unchecked, malicious commenters will continue to commit character assassinations without any concern.
I, Kim Boo-sun, do not want to see victims like myself being produced any longer. This suffering must end. We must prevent celebrities like me from sorrowfully ending their lives due to cyber violence.
I ask that you do not take my pain and grievances lightly, and I urge the national investigative agencies to impose strict penalties and actively investigate and punish to ensure that no victims like me arise again. Thank you.
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