Although actress Lee Si Young was hurt by false rumors that spread about her this summer, she wants prosecutors to be lenient with those who merely spread them.
The rumors began to spread online in June, claiming that there was a sex tape featuring the actress and that her agency, J Wide Company, was using the tape to blackmail her. The rumors also suggested that she tried to kill herself over the impending scandal.
J Wide Company immediately denied the existence of the tape and any disagreement with the actress. The company vowed to take legal action against the person who started the rumors and any netizens who spread them. They took the rumors very seriously and considered them defamation.
"We confirmed the contents of this rumor," said the J Wide Company representative. "And it is absolutely false. We regard the unverified rumors as severely damaging her reputation as well as causing her pain."
The agency filed charges and a police investigation resulted in the Seoul Central Prosecutors Office issuing an arrest warrant.
According to the Korean media outlet Star, the person accused of starting the rumors is a reporter. He faces at minimum a $3,000 fine. Also, at least a thousand people were estimated to have spread the rumors. Anyone who spread the rumors could potentially be fined.
But Lee only wants the person who started the rumors to be punished and not those who later spread them. While they did spread false information they did not start it. Nevertheless, they should get the message that it is illegal.
The actress said that prevention of further incidents like this was far more important than punishment. It was important to spread the message that anyone who aided in the spread of rumors like this was likely to be fined. And arresting the person who started the rumors was a fitting message.
Lee Si Young recently completed the OCN drama "My Beautiful Bride" with Kim Moo Yeol and before that she appeared in 'Valid Love" with Uhm Tae Woong and Lee Soo Hyuk.
The actress is taking a break from the small screen at the moment but she is keeping busy. As an amateur boxer, she's training to try out for Korea's national boxing team that will compete in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Brazil.
