The late singer Goo Ha-ra, left and her ex-boyfriend Choi Jong-bum. Yonhap By KTimes The Constitutional Court ruled that remarks made about Choi Jong-bum, the ex-boyfriend of the late singer Goo Ha-ra, a former member of the idol group KARA, do not constitute defamation. Choi had previously been convicted of assaulting Goo and threatening to distribute a sex video, for which he received a prison sentence.
The court unanimously accepted a petition filed by a man, identified as Chung, seeking to overturn a decision by the Incheon District Prosecutors' Office' to suspend prosecution on defamation charges, court officials said Wednesday. Prosecutors had determined that Chung’s comments, posted on an internet article about Choi’s release from prison, warranted legal action. However, the court concluded that Chung’s remarks did not meet the legal criteria for defamation.
In 2021, Chung posted a comment on a news article titled "Goo Ha-ra’s Ex-Boyfriend Choi Jong-bum Reveals Gaunt Appearance," saying, "Is he showing his gaunt appearance to gain sympathy? Someone like him wouldn't get any sympathy even if he committed suicide!" Choi's legal team filed a defamation complaint, and the Incheon District Prosecutors' Office issued a suspended indictment, acknowledging the charges, but refrained from prosecution in consideration of various mitigating factors. In May 2022, Chung appealed to the Constitutional Court, arguing that although he had posted the comment, it did not constit.