[Sportschosun Reporter Kim Jun-seok] Actor Hwang Jung-min has rejected a court-ordered mediation decision in a damages suit worth 200 million won against Person A, who has raised allegations about his private life.
According to a Star News report on the 18th, Hwang Jung-min personally filed an objection to the Seoul Central District Court's mediation decision issued on the 14th in the 200 million won damages case against Person A.
Court-ordered mediation is a procedure in which the court, on its own authority, sets settlement terms between the parties before a formal ruling. If neither side objects within two weeks of receiving the decision, it has the same effect as a judicial settlement. However, if either side objects, the mediation decision loses its effect.
Hwang Jung-min had already made clear that he had no intention of settling with Person A. He also said he would not attend the mediation session held on the 11th and submitted a written opinion on the procedure through his legal representative.
In the end, the court issued a mediation decision, but Hwang Jung-min's objection means the civil dispute between the two sides will not be resolved through settlement.
The lawsuit began in February, when Person A filed a 200 million won damages claim against Hwang Jung-min.
Person A is seeking compensation on the grounds that, after Hwang Jung-min proposed a soju business, he carried out design mockups and wrote a screenplay but did not receive fair payment. The court handling the case referred it to mediation in June in an effort to reach an agreement between the two sides.
The legal battle between Person A and Hwang Jung-min does not end there.
Until recently, Person A had claimed on social media that he had a past personal relationship with Hwang Jung-min and released call records and messages that he said were exchanged with the actor. Hwang Jung-min's side has denied those claims.
In August last year, Hwang Jung-min filed a criminal complaint against Person A on stalking charges. The court later imposed temporary measures on Person A three times, including a no-contact order, and issued a summary order imposing a fine of 3 million won. Person A objected and requested a formal trial.
At the closing hearing on charges including violations of the Act on the Punishment of Stalking Crimes, held on the 11th before a single-judge panel at the Goyang Branch Court of the Uijeongbu District Court, prosecutors sought a fine of 10 million won for Person A.
Prosecutors cited the long duration of the conduct, the excessive number of contacts, and the posting of threatening messages on social media as reasons for the request. They also asked the court to take into account Hwang Jung-min's side's petition for severe punishment.
In his final statement, Person A admitted wrongdoing in some of his actions, but argued that "being labeled a stalker who unilaterally pursued one person for two years is a completely different story."
He added, "Please look at who contacted whom first and what promises were made between us," and pleaded, "I cannot bear for everything to be treated as if it were all done unilaterally by one person. Please judge this exactly as the record shows."
The sentencing date for Person A on charges including violations of the Act on the Punishment of Stalking Crimes is set for September 8.
narusi@sportschosun.com
This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.
