"Demand for Settlement Money by Late Son Jeong-min's Friend A is a Form of Threat"... Cheong Wa Dae Petition

Attorney Eunsoo Lee of One & Partners Law Firm, who is the legal representative of A, a friend of the late Jeongmin Son, is entering the Seocho Police Station in Seoul on the 1st.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Choyoung] Regarding the case of the late Son Jung-min, who was found dead at Banpo Hangang Park in Seoul, a Blue House petition has been posted expressing a desire to file a complaint, calling the friend A’s side’s inquiry about willingness to pay settlement money to netizens who posted fake news and malicious comments "a form of intimidation."

According to the Blue House petition board on the 24th, the petition titled "I petition to file a complaint against the A side’s legal team’s demand for settlement money related to the Banpo Hangang incident," posted on the 22nd, had gained over 4,000 supporters as of 8 p.m. that day.

The petitioner began by saying, "This is an issue that the entire nation is interested in," and added, "Citizens and civilians have raised objections and filed numerous petitions on the Blue House petition board, enduring personal sacrifices, regarding unreliable reporting and investigative behavior by the media, police, and other public social systems."

He explained, "Ultimately, this matter has already entered the realm of public interest," and "The A side’s legal team announced an email requesting leniency for malicious posts." He continued, "They reportedly sent the leniency request by email and, without confirmation of receipt, made a blanket demand for settlement money."

The petitioner pointed out, "Young people and elderly grandmothers who do not understand the law are suffering sleepless nights," and said, "Settlement is a procedure that occurs after a crime is established, and this seems to be a form of intimidation against the public under the guise of experts backed by the law."

Furthermore, he appealed, "I petition to file a complaint regarding the A side’s legal team’s demand for settlement money."

Photo by Cheongwadae National Petition Board Capture

According to the JTBC 'Newsroom' broadcast on the 20th, a netizen sent a leniency email apologizing for posting comments suspicious of A, but A’s legal team demanded a response by the 21st, saying, "If you are willing to pay settlement money, we will settle."

A’s legal team explained, "After carefully reviewing the (leniency request) email, we judged that it is difficult to settle unconditionally," and added, "As you know well, the damage suffered by A and his family is not insignificant, and it is very difficult for them to return to daily life."

They continued, "In this situation, the number and content of the comments written by the person who sent the email are not light, and we think an apology alone is insufficient to comfort A and his family," and said, "Since you first sent an email appealing for leniency, ignoring it and immediately proceeding with a lawsuit also seems inappropriate, so if you are willing to pay a certain amount as settlement money, we would like to settle."

When this fact became controversial, A’s legal team explained, "We were checking whether some people who excessively spread false information or posted malicious comments were willing to pay settlement money."

Meanwhile, it was reported that the leniency request emails received by One & Partners, A’s legal team, exceeded 1,100.

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