Cha Doo-ri Faces Defamation and Stalking Charges from Women Claiming to Be His Girlfriends... Cha Doo-ri's Side Denies Allegations

Chaduri Sued for Defamation and Stalking by Woman A
B, Who Claimed to Be Chaduri's Partner, Also Joins Lawsuit
"Defamation Through Posting Photos and Posts on SNS"

Cha Du-ri (45), who has played on the field as a member of the South Korean national soccer team and is currently working as a coach, is reportedly involved in a legal dispute over an extramarital affair while still legally married.

Coach Cha Du-ri.
Photo by Yonhap News

On the 27th, CBS No Cut News reported that Cha recently filed a complaint with the Songpa Police Station in Seoul against a woman identified as A for defamation and stalking. In the complaint, Cha described A as "someone he met several times" and claimed that "A damaged his reputation by exposing private matters." Another woman, B, who identified herself as Cha’s girlfriend, also filed a defamation complaint against A at the Yongin Western Police Station. B alleged, "A stalked me and defamed me by posting photos and posts on social networking services (SNS)."

However, A presented a stance quite different from Cha’s claims. A stated, "Cha contacted me first in August 2021, and we became lovers in September of the same year," adding, "Cha hid the fact that he was dating B while seeing me, and when conflicts arose over this issue, he filed a complaint against me." Photos released by A show messages presumed to be from Cha, including terms like 'Jagiya' (honey), 'I miss you,' and 'I love you.'

According to A, after discovering B’s existence in May 2023, A notified Cha of the breakup, but Cha contacted her again in October of the same year, and the related conflict continued until March this year. This period overlaps with Cha’s tenure as a coach for the men’s national soccer team at the Qatar Asian Cup. The South Korean soccer team participated in the 'Qatar Asian Cup' but was criticized for finishing in fourth place. A said, "My actions were intended to prevent other innocent victims like myself," and added, "I recently realized that my approach might have legal issues due to my lack of knowledge about the law." The police announced plans to summon A for questioning soon.

Meanwhile, Cha married a company employee one year older than him in 2009 and has one son and one daughter. Although news of their divorce surfaced in April 2013, the divorce mediation filed by Cha was unsuccessful. Their divorce case proceeded to a formal trial in November of the same year. Cha appealed the first trial’s ruling but lost again in the appeal trial held in February 2017, so legally, he remains married. Cha’s legal representative stated in a media interview, "Although Cha Du-ri has not legally divorced, they have mutually agreed to respect each other’s separate lives, and there is no issue in his private life that could be deemed immoral by anyone," and drew a line by saying, "He has not dated multiple women simultaneously."