'Defamation of Cho Kuk' Internet Media Reporter Also Acquitted in Second Trial

Former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk is attending the continuation trial on his children's admission bribery case at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul, on the 14th. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] A reporter from an online media outlet who was prosecuted for defaming former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk was acquitted in the second trial following the first trial.

The Criminal Division 3 of the Seoul High Court (Presiding Judges Park Yeon-wook, Park Won-cheol, Lee Hee-joon) upheld the first trial's verdict of not guilty for reporter A from the online media outlet Pen & Mike on the 7th.

The court stated, "Considering the victim's status, it is difficult to conclude that the content of the article falls purely within the private domain," and added, "It is hard to recognize that the defendant posted the article with the intention to defame the victim without believing it was for the public interest."

A was indicted on January 30, 2020, for defaming former Minister Cho Kuk's reputation (defamation under the Information and Communications Network Act) with an article titled "Past Posts of an ID Presumed to be Cho Kuk Stirring the Internet... Uploads of Model Barbara Palvin's Upper Body Nude, etc." The article suggested that an ID presumed to belong to former Minister Cho Kuk had posted semi-nude photos of a female model on an internet community.

Former Minister Cho Kuk filed a complaint against A in August 2020, claiming the article was false and damaged his reputation. The prosecution sought a 10-month prison sentence for A in both the first and second trials.

However, the first trial, conducted as a citizen participation trial, acquitted A, stating that it was difficult to regard the article's content, which merely conveyed the fact that there was controversy, as false, and it was also difficult to recognize that the article was intended to defame former Minister Cho Kuk.

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