[Sportschosun, Kim Joon-seok] Prosecutors again sought a 10-month prison sentence for Lee, the wife of Park Soo-hong's older brother, who was indicted on charges of damaging the broadcaster's reputation by spreading false information about his private life.
At the closing hearing of the appeal trial on charges of defamation under the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection, held on the 25th at the Criminal Appeals Division 1 of the Seoul Western District Court, prosecutors asked the bench to "dismiss the defendant's appeal and impose the same 10-month prison sentence sought in the first trial."
Lee was indicted for defaming Park Soo-hong by sending messages in a KakaoTalk group chat containing false claims, including that he had lived with a woman while active in broadcasting.
In the appeal trial, Lee's side denied all charges and argued for acquittal.
Her lawyer argued, "The defendant repeatedly saw women's belongings at the victim's home, and based on that, she had reasonable grounds to believe the victim was living with a woman." He added, "Because these were not fabricated remarks made while knowing they were false, defamation through the statement of false facts is not established."
He also asked the court to find her not guilty, saying, "The defendant's remarks were merely a defensive response meant to explain Park Soo-hong's public disclosure through the media of family property disputes, and there was no intent to slander."
In her final statement, Lee expressed her apology to Park Soo-hong and his wife, Kim Da-ye.
Lee said, "Although it was an extremely private conversation with acquaintances, I apologize for hurting Park Soo-hong and Ms. Kim Da-ye because of it." She added, "At the time, I thought what I was doing was right, but looking back now, I realize how thoughtless and foolish I was."
"I am deeply reflecting on my actions, and I will make sure this never happens again. I will become a mother my children can be proud of," she said, asking for leniency.
In the first trial, the court fined Lee 12 million won.
At the time, the court said, "The defendant committed the offense to create public opinion favorable to the legal dispute between herself and her husband and to slander the victim." It added, "The false information spread through internet comments and other channels, and the nature of the crime is not good."
Meanwhile, prosecutors again sought a 10-month prison term in the appeal trial, as they did in the first trial. The appellate ruling for Lee is scheduled to be delivered at 2:30 p.m. on the 23rd of next month at the Seoul Western District Court.
narusi@sportschosun.com
