Ex-husband who claimed "Kim Mi-hwa cheated", convicted of defamation charge

Ex-husband A, who was handed over to trial for spreading false information about broadcaster Kim Mi-hwa, was convicted in the first trial.

On the 22nd, the Seoul Eastern District Court sentenced Mr. A, who was charged with violating the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection (defamation), to 10 months in prison and 2 years probation.

The court said, “What Mr. A said on YouTube is content that can infringe on Mr. Kim’s social value or evaluation, and the important part is false.”

"Mr. Kim is a public figure as a celebrity, but the contents of the crime are a secret private area that only Mr. A and Mr. Kim can know," he said.

In addition, "Mr. A denied the crime and continued to claim to criticize Mr. Kim during the trial process," he added, adding the reason for the sentencing, saying, "However, we considered the fact that there was no criminal history other than fines."

Previously, Mr. A appeared on a YouTube channel in 2021 and argued for suspicion of Mr. Kim's affair and out-of-wedlock. In response, Mr. Kim sued Mr. A for spreading false information.

After marrying Mr. A in 1986, Kim filed for divorce in 2004, 18 years later. In January of the following year, they divorced through court mediation.

Reporter Yoon Jun-ho, Ten Asia delo410@tenasia.co.kr