Hataekyung Loses Damages Lawsuit Against Park Jiwon Over "Has Lived a Complicated Life" Remark

Hataekyung Files 100 Million Won Defamation Suit
Court: "Claim Dismissed, Plaintiff to Bear All Legal Costs"

Hataekyung, President of the Insurance Institute and former member of the People Power Party, lost a damages lawsuit in which he claimed his reputation had been defamed by Assemblyman Park Jie-won of the Democratic Party of Korea, who referred to him as someone who "has lived a complicated life."

On April 28, Judge Moon Ji-yong of the 13th Civil Division of the Seoul Southern District Court dismissed President Ha's claim for damages of 100 million won against Assemblyman Park. The court also ordered President Ha, as the plaintiff, to bear the entire cost of the lawsuit.

Ha Tae-kyung, President of the Insurance Training Institute. Photo by Yonhap News

This case originated after Assemblyman Park, who previously served as Director of the National Intelligence Service, mentioned the so-called "NIS X-Files" during a radio broadcast in June 2022, stating that the agency kept extensive personal records on politicians, including members of the National Assembly. At that time, Assemblyman Park commented about President Ha, saying he "has lived a complicated life."

During the radio broadcast, Assemblyman Park said, "In the National Assembly, I remarked, 'If the X-Files are made public, many lawmakers would get divorced.' In response, Hataekyung, who was then the secretary of the National Assembly's Intelligence Committee, said, 'I haven't lived that kind of life, Director. Why do you say that? Why would I get divorced?'" He further shared, "I then asked, 'President Ha, you've also lived a complicated life. Are you okay with this being made public?' to which he replied that he did not want it disclosed."

In response, President Ha argued that Assemblyman Park's remarks effectively implied suspicions of infidelity and damaged his reputation. In July of the same year, President Ha filed for 100 million won in damages for psychological suffering against Assemblyman Park.

President Ha's legal team argued during the trial, "The plaintiff has endured indescribable psychological distress due to the defendant's defamation," and added, "The harm continues to this day." They elaborated that the suspicion had spread further through media reports and online communities after the remarks, severely damaging President Ha's political and social standing.

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