Cafe Owner Accused in 'Cheongdam-dong Drinking Party' Says Similar Media's 'Witch Hunt' Reporting Is an Exoneration

by Choi Sukjin

Published 12 Jul.2024 12:03(KST)

The owner of the music cafe, identified as the location of the so-called ‘Cheongdam-dong drinking party suspicion,’ strongly criticized the court ruling that denied the liability for damages of the YouTube media outlet ‘Citizen Press The TamSa,’ which reported the suspicion, saying, "The court has given a pardon to the 'witch hunt'-style reporting by pseudo-media."

On the 12th, the legal representative of the music cafe owner Imiki (real name Lee Bo-kyung) issued a statement immediately after the first trial loss verdict was announced, saying, "The court has given a pardon to the 'witch hunt'-style reporting by pseudo-media and neglected its duty to protect the victim," and added, "We will review the judgment and decide soon whether to appeal."

Kang Jin-gu, former CEO of The Thamsa. [Photo by Yonhap News]

Earlier that day, the Civil Division 25 of the Seoul Central District Court (Presiding Judge Song Seung-woo) ruled against Lee and another plaintiff in a lawsuit filed against former The TamSa CEO Kang Jin-gu and four others, demanding deletion of videos and damages, stating, "All claims of the plaintiffs are dismissed. Litigation costs shall be borne by the plaintiffs." However, the court did not disclose detailed reasons for the judgment in court that day.

The ‘Cheongdam-dong drinking party suspicion’ surfaced in October 2022 when former Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Ui-gyeom raised it during a comprehensive audit by the National Assembly’s Legislation and Judiciary Committee. The suspicion involves President Yoon Seok-yeol and People Power Party leader candidate Han Dong-hoon having a late-night drinking party at a high-end bar in Cheongdam-dong with about 30 lawyers from the law firm Kim & Chang on July 19-20, 2022.

At the time, a cellist who was said to have been at the drinking party disclosed a phone call in which she mentioned the related details to her ex-boyfriend, and The TamSa reported the suspicion, mentioning Lee’s cafe as the dining location. However, in a police investigation in November 2022, the cellist testified that she "lied to deceive her ex-boyfriend."

In response, Lee and others filed a lawsuit in June last year demanding deletion of the video and damages of 550 million KRW, claiming that The TamSa’s report damaged their store’s sales and reputation. However, Lee and others later reduced the claim amount to 259 million KRW through a change in the claim purpose.