[Exclusive] 'School Violence Controversy' Kim Yujin PD Posts Apology → Files Lawsuit for Spreading False Information

Chef Lee Won-il (left) and fianc?e PD Kim Yoo-jin (right). Photo by MBC Variety Program "If You’re Envious, You Lose"

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Yeon-ju] Recently, it has been reported that Kim Yoo-jin PD, the fianc?e of Chef Lee Won-il who was recently embroiled in allegations of past school violence, has filed a lawsuit against those who spread false information.

Kim PD's legal representative, law firm Jehyeon, released an official statement on the 13th, stating, "On the 12th, Kim Yoo-jin submitted a complaint to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office regarding the perpetrators who spread false information with the intent to defame the complainant, violating the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection, etc. (defamation)."

They added, "When the false information about the complainant was first spread, the complainant did not want the damage to extend to people around her, so she quickly posted an apology rather than seeking to clarify the facts."

They continued, "Due to the apology, it was perceived as if the complainant admitted all the false claims made by the accused, causing greater harm to those around her. Unable to tolerate the continued spread of false information, she decided to file the lawsuit," they added.

Earlier, on the 21st of last month, a post claiming to have been a victim of school violence by Kim PD in the past was uploaded on an online community. In response, Kim PD posted a handwritten apology on Instagram together with Chef Lee Won-il.

At that time, Kim PD’s apology included phrases such as, "Regardless of the truth, I sincerely apologize to the victims who were hurt and have not forgotten the pain for a long time because of my actions," which implied a denial of the school violence allegations and drew public criticism.

Below is the full statement from Kim Yoo-jin PD’s side regarding the submission of the complaint.

The complainant Kim Yoo-jin submitted a complaint to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office yesterday (May 12, 2020) regarding the perpetrators who spread false information with the intent to defame the complainant, violating the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection, etc. (defamation).

When the false information about the complainant was first spread, the complainant did not want the damage to extend to people around her, so she quickly posted an apology rather than seeking to clarify the facts.

However, due to the apology, it was perceived as if the complainant admitted all the false claims made by the accused, causing greater harm to those around her. Unable to tolerate the continued spread of false information, she decided to file the lawsuit.

Since the false information was being indiscriminately spread through various media outlets, the complainant requested the deletion of the articles through her legal representatives. Three domestic media outlets and one New Zealand media outlet, which acknowledged the falsehood, have already deleted the articles or expressed their intention to issue corrections.

However, there are still people spreading false information about the complainant, and legal action will be taken against this as well. The legal representatives have already secured evidence and witnesses proving that the false claims spread on portal sites and online communities are untrue and have submitted the complaint. Additional legal measures, including civil lawsuits, are also planned.

Going forward, the complainant will await the judgment of the law rather than engaging in a media battle, and will take strong legal action against indiscriminate malicious comments, false reporting, or publicizing of incidents unrelated to the complainant, and other acts of spreading false information.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.