More Korean celebrities are using the nation's defamation laws to go after netizens who slander them. And the punishment can be harsh. In Korea, defamation is a civil and criminal offense, which can result in up to seven years imprisonment.
Singer Baek Ji Young, with the support of her husband actor Jung Suk Won, is one of the latest celebrities to seek such an indictment.
As a result, four netizens were apprehended today and charged with spreading malicious rumors about her recent miscarriage. One of the four men who were booked is a 19-year-old public service worker. The other three are students or businessmen.
The singer, known as the "Queen of the OST" for her contribution to so many drama soundtracks, was distraught enough when she lost her first child shortly after marrying Jung Suk Won. But then the online comments began, blaming her for causing the miscarriage because she smoked, worked too hard and tried to have a child at 38. Those comments hurt her deeply.
"The miscarriage wasn't because of overwork or anything," said Baek Ji Young. "When I asked my doctor at the university hospital why it happened, even he couldn't give me an exact answer. He said that it is possible for a miscarriage to happen at any time."
Because of the cruel nature of the comments, she decided to press charges. The netizens making comments were easily tracked through their IP address. Bold enough online, they were not so eager to talk up when they were apprehended. According to the prosecutor's office, the men who were picked up were embarrassed even to discuss what they had written.
"They took advantage of the Internet's anonymity and wrote those words without any inhibitions," said a representative from the prosecutor's office.
There is a growing sentiment in Korea that such comments should be prosecuted and even among non-celebrities the number of criminal defemation complaints has grown significantly. Having freedom of expression should not extend to slandering someone's reputation. According to the Korean Constitution, the burden of proof is on the defendant to prove that his statement is true and in the public interest.
The singer's agency, WS Entertainment, supported her desire to prosecute those responsible for slander and provided police with evidence.
"As soon as the investigation is over, we will prosecute all the netizens that made false and defamatory comments," said a WS Entertainment representative.
The agency stated that they were not only filing charges for Baek Ji Young's sake but to protect other celebrities from slander.
