Human Rights Activist Park Raegun Acquitted in Retrial for Defamation over 'Park Geun-hye Drug' Remarks

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] The court acquitted human rights activist Park Rae-gun of defamation charges related to his remarks about former President Park Geun-hye's whereabouts during the Sewol ferry disaster.

The Seoul High Court Criminal Division 5 (Presiding Judges Yoon Kang-yeol, Park Jae-young, Kim Sang-chul) on the 24th overturned the original sentence of 3 years imprisonment with 4 years probation in the retrial of Park, who was indicted on charges including obstruction of official duties causing injury and defamation, and instead sentenced him to 2 years imprisonment with 3 years probation. The defamation charge was ruled not guilty.

The court stated, "The defendant's remarks expressed opinions on the necessity of revealing Park Geun-hye's whereabouts and raised suspicions, but it is difficult to see that he specified concrete facts such as the victim using drugs or receiving Botox injections and thus not performing official duties."

However, the charges of assaulting police officers at a rally and damaging dozens of police buses were upheld, with the sentence reduced to 2 years imprisonment with 3 years probation and 160 hours of community service.

At a press conference in June 2015, Park said, "(President Park) was absent for 7 hours on April 16. What was she doing during that time? I wonder if she was possibly using drugs," and added, "There are also suspicions that she was receiving Botox injections for skin care or plastic surgery."

The first and second trials ruled that Park's remarks constituted defamation. Additionally, Park was partially found guilty of holding a Sewol ferry-related rally without notification and disobeying dispersal orders, receiving a sentence of 3 years imprisonment with 4 years probation.

However, the Supreme Court in March ruled that the remarks should be seen as expressing opinions and raising public suspicions regarding former President Park's whereabouts, and sent the case back to the Seoul High Court.

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