Kang Daniel Wins Defamation Case Against YouTuber

Kang Daniel (강다니엘), a 28-year-old male singer, has achieved a partial victory in a defamation lawsuit against the operator of the YouTube channel '탈덕수용소' (Taldok Su-yongso), who spread unfounded rumors about him. On November 27, the Seoul Central District Court's Civil Division 29, presided over by Judge Lee Geon-hee, ruled that the YouTuber, identified as Park (박모), must pay Kang 30 million KRW in damages as part of a 100 million KRW lawsuit. The judge did not provide specific reasons for the ruling in court.

Park, a 36-year-old YouTuber, created various videos based on unverified malicious rumors about idols. In 2022, she uploaded a false video titled 'The Scandalous Private Life of the Nation's Boyfriend Actor Idol,' which claimed that Kang had spent a night at an entertainment venue with women before moving to a hotel. This particular video has since been removed from her channel.

Previously, Park was convicted of defaming Kang and was fined 10 million KRW in September. Neither party has appealed this ruling, making it final. During the criminal trial, Park appeared in court heavily disguised with a long wig, a white mask, and black-rimmed glasses, likely due to concerns about her identity being revealed, as attendance is mandatory for defendants in criminal cases.

In addition to the criminal charges, Kang filed a civil lawsuit for damages against Park in January of last year, which has now resulted in this partial victory.

Furthermore, around the same time, Park also posted defamatory videos about female idol Jang Won-young (장원영), who has since filed a defamation lawsuit against her. The first trial ruled that Park must pay Jang 100 million KRW, and the second trial is currently ongoing, with a verdict expected on January 22, 2025.