Netizen fined for defaming entertainer online

A man was fined for posting false rumors on the Internet and defaming entertainer Lee Kyung-shil, local court officials said Monday.

According to the Seoul Southern District Court, the man surnamed Lee, whose name was not disclosed to the media, was fined 2 million won ($1,693) for uploading false rumors about Lee Kyung-shil’s remarriage.

“In light of the degree of falsity of the rumor, the nature of the crime is serious, considering the fact that the victim is a widely known entertainer and that the rumor may have caused extreme mental distress,” said court officials.

The 47-year-old had written that the entertainer had destroyed her household by having an affair with a gangster, in an internet post last April.

(robert@heraldcorp.com)