[Sportschosun Kim Jun-seok] The informant who raised allegations of school bullying against actor Song Ha-yoon has received a "no charges" decision from the police in a complaint filed by Song Ha-yoon's side, while the case is now awaiting the Prosecutors' Office's review.
On the 25th, the YouTube channel "Entertainment Chief Lee Jin-ho" released a video titled, "A 90-minute beating? I never even saw that guy" Song Ha-yoon informant sued... If there's no crime, why?"
That day, Lee Jin-ho, together with a lawyer, explained the latest developments in the legal dispute surrounding the school bullying allegations against Song Ha-yoon.
According to the video, Song Ha-yoon's side filed a complaint against Informant A on charges including defamation by spreading false information, obstruction of business, and intimidation, arguing that the bullying allegations were not true.
Song Ha-yoon's side has argued that the informant's claims, made through online communities and YouTube interviews, such as "I was beaten for 90 minutes" and "I was forced to transfer schools," were all false.
In particular, it has maintained that the alleged incident could not have occurred physically because the informant had already transferred to another school at the time in question, and that the transfer was also a voluntary choice for entertainment activities, not a disciplinary measure for school bullying.
The informant's side, meanwhile, has continued to stand by its claims, saying it has secured statements from classmates and witnesses.
Lee Jin-ho said, "The informant was a U.S. citizen and had no reason to come to Korea, but after Song Ha-yoon's side kept raising the issue, he paid his own expenses, came to Korea, and underwent a police investigation," adding, "As a result, a decision not to send the case to prosecutors was made in February this year."
Lawyer Lee Seung-jae, who appeared in the video, explained the meaning of the decision, saying, "There are two types of no-charge decisions: insufficient evidence and 'not a crime.'" He added, "A 'not a crime' decision means investigators concluded that the offense itself was not established."
He went on to analyze, "We would need to review the investigation records to know for sure, but there is a strong possibility that the authorities determined the alleged false information itself was not false."
He also noted the key issue in the defamation case, saying, "Under the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection, etc., defamation based on false information requires the information to be false," and added, "Whether it serves the public interest is also closely tied to whether the information is false or not."
It was also reported that police issued a decision not to send the obstruction-of-business charge to prosecutors due to insufficient evidence.
However, the case is not fully over. Lee Jin-ho said, "Song Ha-yoon's side immediately filed an objection after the police's decision not to send the case to prosecutors, and it is understood that the Prosecutors' Office is now reviewing the matter."
In response, Lawyer Lee said, "There are cases where an objection overturns the result, but in general, decisions of 'not a crime' are not easily reversed," adding, "Still, the final judgment will be made by the Prosecutors' Office."
Meanwhile, the informant's side is reportedly considering a civil damages claim in the future, saying the complaint caused losses such as living expenses in Korea and airfare.
narusi@sportschosun.com
