Korean Woman Who Stalked Apple CEO Across the U.S. Reaches Restraining Order Agreement

Moved to California, USA, where Apple headquarters is located
Team Cook CEO's private property trespassed twice
Apple eventually filed a lawsuit in January

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] Julie Lee Choi (45), a Korean-American woman who persistently stalked Apple CEO Tim Cook (61), has reached an agreement with Apple. Choi has agreed not to approach CEO Cook for the next three years.

According to local U.S. media such as the New York Post, on the 29th of last month (local time), Choi agreed with Apple not to come within 200 yards (approximately 180 meters) of CEO Cook for the next three years, nor to attempt communication via electronic means such as email or social networking services (SNS).

Additionally, the court ordered Choi to stay away from Apple employees and Apple private property and prohibited her from possessing firearms. Violation of these orders could result in immediate criminal charges and imprisonment.

Local media reported that after completing the agreement and leaving the court, Choi made angry gestures such as waving her hand at photographers taking pictures.

According to Apple, Choi had been stalking CEO Cook since 2020. Apple had spent $630,000 (approximately 760 million KRW) on security costs for CEO Cook. However, Choi's stalking became even more persistent, and ultimately, Apple filed a stalking lawsuit against her in January.

In evidence submitted to the court at that time, Apple stated that Choi traveled across the U.S. continent to California, where Apple's headquarters are located. She also trespassed on CEO Cook's private property twice.

Choi even asked CEO Cook, who is openly gay, to share a bed with her. She sent over 200 emails to CEO Cook pleading, "I can't live like this anymore. I want to have sex with you." She also sent photos of a loaded gun and a box of bullets to CEO Cook.

Choi created a Twitter account, a popular U.S. social media platform, and harassed CEO Cook by commenting on every post. She changed her account name to "Julie Lee Cook," adopting CEO Cook's surname, and claimed on Twitter that she had given birth to CEO Cook's twins.

Eventually, two months after Apple's legal team filed the lawsuit, Choi agreed to the court's restraining order during a hearing held in March.