The sister-in-law of broadcaster Park Soo-hong (54), identified by surname Lee (53), was fined in the first trial for spreading false information.
On the 11th, Judge Kang Young-ki of the Seoul Western District Court, criminal division 9, sentenced Lee to a fine of 12 million won for defamation under the Information and Communications Network Act.
Previously, Lee was brought to trial for sending messages in a Kakao group chat suggesting that 'Park Soo-hong cohabitated with a woman' and 'Park Soo-hong's claims that his brother and sister-in-law embezzled money are lies.'
The court judged, 'The defendant committed the crime to favorably shape public opinion due to the public's interest prompted by legal disputes regarding embezzlement by the defendant and the spouse.'
Moreover, the court noted, 'The intent to slander the victim appeared strong, and the crime was aggravated by planning and executing actions to spread the slander further through not only sending messages in the chatroom but also writing comments on online articles.'
The fact that Park Soo-hong did not receive an apology from the perpetrator was also reflected in the sentencing. The court remarked, 'Given the victim's professional characteristics, the degree of defamation is significant, and the false information continues to spread online, causing ongoing harm,' further adding, 'The defendant is making difficult-to-accept excuses by citing personal and familial circumstances and has not sought forgiveness from the victim.'
Lee maintains the position that the messages were true and not intended to defame, but the court determined them to be false information. The prosecution had sought a 10-month prison sentence.
Meanwhile, Lee's husband, Park Jin-hong (56), who is Park Soo-hong's older brother, received a two-year prison sentence in the first trial for embezzling approximately 2 billion won of corporate funds while managing his brother's affairs. However, Lee was acquitted in this case.