[Sportschosun, Lee Ji-hyun] Young-suk, a cast member from Season 16 of 'I Am Solo,' has received a final fine from the Supreme Court of Korea in a case in which she was indicted for posting online allegations and defamatory remarks about Sang-cheol.
According to the legal community on the 16th, the Supreme Court of Korea dismissed Young-suk's appeal on charges of violating the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection, etc. (defamation) and insult. As a result, the lower court's ruling that imposed a fine of 2 million won was upheld.
With this ruling, the case was brought to a close after about three years, as the Daegu District Court reached the same conclusion in the first trial in July 2025, followed by the appellate court at the Daegu District Court in April this year, and now the Supreme Court of Korea.
Between November 2023 and May 2024, Young-suk posted messages exchanged with Sang-cheol, who appeared with her on Season 16 of 'I Am Solo,' on her social media accounts. In the process, she posted content suggesting that Sang-cheol had sex with another woman while dating her. She was then brought to trial on charges of defaming and insulting him four times in total, including through a live broadcast in which she used abusive language.
The first trial court found that the posts could not be seen as serving the public interest. The court said, "The content of the posts cannot be regarded as a matter of public concern that the public needs to know, and it does not fall under the public interest," and found her guilty. However, it sentenced her to a 2 million won fine, taking into account that she was raising her child alone, her financial situation, and her admission of the offense.
Young-suk appealed, arguing that she had no intent to defame and that her actions were meant as self-defense and an explanation. She also claimed that the relevant legal provisions were unconstitutional.
However, the appellate court ruled, "Even if the other party was at fault, such conduct in a public space cannot be considered a justifiable act," and added, "Existing precedents holding that the relevant law does not violate the Constitution remain in place." Her appeal was ultimately rejected, and the Supreme Court of Korea also declined to accept it, making the lower court's ruling final.
After the ruling, Sang-cheol stated, "Three years is by no means a short time. As false stories kept spreading repeatedly, not only I but also my family and people around me suffered deep hurt."
He added, "Today's ruling cannot turn back the past three years, but I believe it is a meaningful decision because it confirms that the truth will eventually come out, even if it takes time, and that those who damage another person's reputation must be held accountable." He continued, "I hope this outcome serves as another reminder that online accusations and personal attacks without fact-checking cannot be protected under the name of freedom of expression."
Meanwhile, Sang-cheol and Young-suk met while appearing together on the divorcee special of SBS Plus and ENA's entertainment program 'I Am Solo' Season 16. At the time, their mutual interest drew attention, but after the show ended, disputes escalated into allegations about their private lives and counter-lawsuits, prolonging the conflict.
olzllovely@sportschosun.com
This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.
