Court Acquits Netizen for Defaming Han Ye-seul's Husband

A netizen who posted derogatory comments about actress Han Ye-seul's husband has been acquitted by the Seoul Central District Court in a recent ruling. On March 29, the court's 5-2 Criminal Division, led by Judge Kim Yong-jung, overturned a previous conviction for defamation against the individual, referred to as A. The case stemmed from a comment made on July 4, 2021, in response to an article about Han's then-boyfriend, now husband. A wrote, "This is why scoundrels and good-for-nothings shouldn't exist. Act your age. What are you doing at 40?"

Han Ye-seul subsequently filed a defamation lawsuit against A. Initially, A was fined 300,000 KRW in a summary judgment but appealed for a formal trial. During the first trial, A's defense argued that the comments did not directly insult Han and did not harm her social reputation. However, the first court found A guilty, stating that the comment was directed at Han, especially given the mention of her age alongside her name. The court noted that the terms '양아치' (scoundrel) and '날라리' (good-for-nothing) carry derogatory connotations, which are not protected under freedom of expression.

In contrast, the appellate court ruled in favor of A, stating that the expressions used could not be definitively deemed malicious. The court acknowledged the prevalence of rumors surrounding celebrities and concluded that A's comments seemed to reflect disdain for the entertainment industry rather than a personal attack on Han. While the behavior was inappropriate, it did not meet the threshold for legal punishment.

Han Ye-seul publicly acknowledged her relationship with 10-year younger actor Ryu Seong-jae in May 2021, and they registered their marriage in May 2022 after three years of dating. Han debuted as a supermodel in 2001 and has appeared in various television dramas and films, including Nonstop 4 (논스톱4), My Girlfriend is a Gumiho (구미호 외전), and The Big Issue (빅이슈).