Singer and actress Suzy has won a defamation case against a man in his 40s who left insulting comments.
After a prolonged legal battle spanning eight years, the Supreme Court overturned the previous rulings of acquittal in the first and second trials and sentenced the man to a fine.
On the 27th of July, the Supreme Court upheld the initial ruling that sentenced the man, Mr. A, to a fine of 500,000 won (approximately $420) for the charge of defamation.
Mr. A was brought to trial in 2015 for posting malicious comments on a news portal website, insulting Suzy with terms like “언플” (manipulative media play) and “국민호텔녀” (meaning “National Hotel Girl” in a derogatory manner).
In the first trial, he was fined 1 million won, but in the second trial, it was ruled that celebrities, like Suzy, cannot be subjected to the same standards as non-celebrities in terms of privacy, leading to his acquittal. However, the Supreme Court found it difficult to agree with the acquittal and ordered the case to be retried at the Seoul Northern District Prosecutors’ Office.
In the reopened second trial, one of the expressions was recognized as an insult, and Mr. A was sentenced to a fine of 500,000 won, a ruling confirmed by the appellate court. The court deemed Mr. A’s actions to be derogatory, objectifying the victim in a sexual manner.
On another note, Suzy recently won the Best Actress award at the 2nd Blue Dragon Series Awards for her role in the released Coupang Play’s ‘Anna.’
Source: (A)
