An online harasser who spread false information about singer-actress IU has received a suspended sentence in the first trial.
According to legal sources, on October 10, the Seoul Central District Court’s Criminal Division 21, presided over by Senior Judge Jang Seong-jin, recently sentenced Mr. A to 10 months in prison, suspended for 2 years. The charges included defamation, insult, and violation of the Stalking Crime Punishment Act.
The court stated that the defendant repeatedly posted false articles on a publicly accessible blog and instilled extreme fear through threatening remarks. Considering his prior offenses and the victim’s unwillingness to forgive, the severity of his crime cannot be underestimated.
However, the court took into account Mr. A’s history of mental illness treatment and the fact that his previous similar offenses had resulted in fines when deciding on the suspended sentence. The prosecution has since appealed the ruling of the first trial.
Mr. A allegedly posted false statements on his account 29 times from May to July of last year, claiming IU is a Chinese spy and IU is a spy. Investigations also revealed that he posted defamatory content suggesting that IU was involved with a criminal organization or had committed murder.
Furthermore, after IU’s agency, Edam Entertainment, filed a lawsuit against Mr. A, he reportedly sent threatening emails to the staff, stating that he will make their life miserable and he will kill them.
Last November, IU’s agency announced that they would take legal action against those who threatened, insulted, or spread malicious falsehoods about the artist. At that time, the agency identified approximately 180 defendants and indicated that additional lawsuits would be pursued.
The agency emphasized thaat they want to make it clear that there will be no settlements or leniency for these online harassers. It will continue to respond strongly and hope they will cease their illegal activities.
