Conservative YouTuber Woo Jong-chang, Accused of Defaming Cho Kuk, Released on Probation in Second Trial

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Seongpil Cho] Woo Jong-chang, a conservative YouTuber and former Monthly Chosun reporter, who was indicted for defaming former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk, was sentenced to probation and released in the appeal trial.

The Criminal Division 3 of the Seoul High Court (Presiding Judge Bae Jun-hyun) sentenced Woo to 6 months in prison with a 1-year probation on the charge of defamation under the Information and Communications Network Act on the 8th. This came about 80 days after he had been tried in custody following a prison sentence in the first trial.

The court recognized the defamation charge as in the first trial. However, regarding the sentencing, it lowered the sentence, stating, "The content that Woo claimed to have received as a tip and disclosed concerns a public matter related to the duties of the Blue House Senior Secretary for Civil Affairs."

In March 2018, Woo broadcasted on his YouTube channel that he had received a tip claiming that Cho Kuk, then the Blue House Senior Secretary for Civil Affairs, met and dined with Kim Se-yoon, the presiding judge of the state affairs manipulation trial, at a Korean restaurant near the Blue House between January and early February 2018, just before the first trial sentencing of Choi Seo-won (formerly Choi Soon-sil). Former Minister Cho filed a complaint against Woo the following year, stating, "It was a clear false fact that damaged my honor."

Earlier, the first trial sentenced Woo to 8 months in prison and detained him in court, judging that "he broadcast false information based on vague speculation without reasonable grounds or verification procedures and had the purpose of defamation."

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