Ki Sung-yueng Wins Partial Victory in Defamation Lawsuit Against Accusers

Former South Korean national football team player Ki Sung-yueng (36, Pohang Steelers) has achieved a partial victory in a defamation lawsuit against two junior players who claimed he sexually assaulted them during their elementary school years. On July 9, the Seoul Central District Court's Civil Division 14 ruled that the two individuals, referred to as A and B, must jointly pay 100 million KRW in damages for their false allegations that tarnished Ki's reputation.

The accusations stemmed from a claim made in February 2021, where A and B alleged that they were coerced into oral sex by Ki, who was their senior in the football club at an elementary school in Jeonnam from January to June 2000. Ki firmly denied these allegations in March 2021, stating, 'Such incidents never occurred,' and subsequently filed a criminal complaint for defamation and a civil lawsuit seeking 500 million KRW in damages.

The initial hearing for the lawsuit took place in March 2022, but the court paused proceedings to await the results of a police investigation into the defamation claims. In August 2023, the police decided not to pursue charges against A and B due to insufficient evidence, allowing the civil case to resume. The police concluded that there was not enough evidence to determine whether any sexual assault had occurred.