Supreme Court rules the malicious comments calling Suzy “National Escort Girl” as an “insult”
The Supreme Court judged that these comments against Suzy met the constituent requirements of the crime of insult.
The Supreme Court’s 2nd Division (Chief Justice Min Yoo Sook) announced on Dec 28th that it had annulled the original trial that acquitted a man in his 40s who was put on trial on charges of insults. The case is then sent back to the Seoul Northern District Court.
A was accused of posting slanderous comments on an online article related to a movie starring Suzy in 2015, including “Just a bubble made by media play, she is simply a National Escort Girl.” A stated at the investigative agency that he changed Suzy’s nickname, “National Younger Sister,” after seeing the scandal between Suzy and a male celebrity.
The first trial sentenced A to a fine of 1 million won, saying that his comment was an insulting remark that could undermine Suzy’s social evaluation. On the other hand, the second trial found that it was impossible to apply the same standards of establishing the crime of insult for non-celebrities to people who receive public attention, such as celebrities.
As a result, the Supreme Court reversed its judgment during the second trial, saying that the phrase “National Escort Girl” could have the character of a “disparaging expression” against women.
The Supreme Court said, “Such disparaging remark is a way to sexually target the victim, hinting at an insulting image different from the innocence that the victim had previously appealed to the public,” adding, “It can be evaluated as a contemptible expression that can degrade the victim’s social evaluation, and it is difficult to see it as a legitimate act.”
It also explained, “It is necessary to be careful to judge that insulting expressions regarding celebrities’ personal lives do not constitute an insult or violate social norms based on the freedom of speech.”
The Supreme Court said, “In recent years, hate expressions based on race, gender, and region of origin have become a problem. It should be considered that many of such hateful expressions also fall under the constituent requirements of insulting crimes as those lower the social evaluation of victims,” it pointed out.
Source: Star Today
