A South Korean woman in her 30s was slapped with a 3 million won (S$2,300) fine by a Seoul court after her comments on popular singer and actress IU, 29, went viral.
On Dec. 3, JTBC reported that a ruling was made by Judge Lee Kyung-sun of the 16th Criminal Division of the Seoul Central District Court.
A Seoul court has imposed a penalty of 3 million won (USD 2,300 approx) on a woman in her 30s for posting malicious comments against IU.
On December 3 (Monday), the 16th Criminal Division of the Seoul Central District Court (Judge Lee Kyung-sun) handed down the ruling.
In April 2022, the defendant (referred to simply as A) was faced with charges of insult for making belittling comments about IU's clothing and her vocal abilities.
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A's lawyer argued before the trial that the remarks merely constituted expressions of opinion based on objective facts. But the court rejected that defense and noted that the comments were "personal attacks that were insulting and derogatory in nature."
A pleaded in mitigation that she was mentally ill and a bad writer. Despite this appeal, the court insisted that the insults were vile.
The case underscores enduring fears of online harassment in South Korea, especially targeted toward public figures. As one of the best artists in the K-pop world, IU has been subject to malicious comments online, sparking discussions regarding social media users' duties.
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