Court Orders Damages in Defamation Case Against Lawmakers Over False Allegations

A Seoul court has partially ruled in favor of prosecutor Park Sang-yong in a high-profile defamation lawsuit against former and current lawmakers who spread what he claimed were fabricated allegations about his conduct while serving at the Ulsan District Prosecutors’ Office.

The Seoul Central District Court’s 25th Civil Division, presided over by Chief Judge Kwon Ki-man, delivered its verdict Wednesday in the damages suit filed by Park against nine individuals, including former lawmaker Choi Kang-wook and Kang Mi-jung, the former spokesperson of the Rebuilding Korea Party.

According to the court’s decision, Kang Mi-jung is liable for 20 million won ($14,700) in damages. Of this amount, 10 million won represents joint liability to be shared with former lawmaker Choi, YouTuber Kang Sung-beom, and Kang herself. However, the court dismissed claims against Democratic Party lawmakers Lee Sung-yoon and Suh Young-kyo, who were also named in the lawsuit.

The case stems from allegations made during a plenary meeting of the National Assembly’s Legislation and Judiciary Committee in June 2024. During the session, Representative Lee claimed that approximately 30 prosecutors at the Ulsan District Prosecutors’ Office had held an improper drinking party using special activity funds in January 2019. Lee further alleged that a prosecutor involved in the North Korea remittance investigation had engaged in inappropriate behavior, including smearing feces on a restroom sink in the executive dining room after the gathering.

Representative Suh subsequently identified the prosecutor in question as Park Sang-yong during a Democratic Party supreme council meeting. These allegations gained traction and continued to circulate through various media channels, particularly on YouTube.

Park, who led the high-profile investigation into Ssangbangwool Group’s alleged cash transfers to North Korea, stated on the prosecution’s internal network that “my reputation has been seriously damaged by the organized spread of false facts, and substantial mental harm has occurred.” This prompted him to seek 300 million won ($220,600) in damages from Representative Lee, who initially raised the allegations.

The case highlights the increasingly contentious relationship between South Korea’s political establishment and its prosecution service, especially concerning sensitive investigations with political implications. The Ssangbangwool Group investigation that Park led examined alleged illicit cash transfers to North Korea, a case that garnered significant national attention given the security implications and strict regulations governing financial transactions with North Korea.

This ruling comes amid broader tensions between political factions and prosecutors under President Yoon Suk-yeol’s administration. Park previously appeared before a National Assembly special committee investigating allegations of politically motivated indictments by prosecutors, where he notably refused to take the witness oath.

Legal experts note that the partial nature of the verdict – finding some defendants liable while dismissing claims against others – reflects the nuanced approach courts must take when balancing freedom of political speech against an individual’s right to protection from defamation, particularly when the individual is a public servant involved in sensitive investigations.

The court’s decision may influence how political figures discuss ongoing investigations and the conduct of prosecutors in public forums, potentially setting precedent for similar cases where political discourse intersects with allegations of personal misconduct by public officials.

For Park, who sought significantly higher damages than were awarded, the ruling represents a partial vindication of his claims that he was targeted with false allegations that damaged his professional reputation and caused personal distress.