Prosecutors sought a one-year prison term for broadcaster Kim Ou-joon, who was put on trial on charges of defaming former Channel A reporter Lee Dong-jae.
On the 15th, according to legal sources, at the sentencing hearing on the charge of defamation under the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection for Kim Ou-joon, held before Judge Kang Kyung-mook of the Seoul Northern District Court Criminal Division 14 single-judge panel, prosecutors asked the court to hand down the sentence.
From April to October 2020, Kim is accused of saying on his YouTube show and radio program that the former reporter threatened former SillaJen CEO Lee Cheol, who was in custody, to "say that you gave money to Rhyu Si-min."
Lee filed a complaint in Feb. 2022, but in Oct. of the same year, police decided not to refer the case, saying, "It is difficult to see that Kim intentionally made false statements." However, prosecutors requested a reinvestigation in Jan. 2023, and police sent the case to the prosecution in Sept. of the same year. Prosecutors indicted Kim in Apr. of the following year.
The verdict for Kim is scheduled to be delivered on July 14.