Kim Se-eui referred to prosecutors over defamation of writer So Jae-won; Kim Soo-hyun seeks W30b, So seeks W1b in damages

Kim Se-eui, head of the YouTube channel Garosero Research Institute, has been referred to prosecutors on charges of defamation through the spread of false information — this time targeting writer So Jae-won, following a similar referral involving actor Kim Soo-hyun. So said she will also file a 1 billion won (about $658,000) civil damages suit against him.

So announced Sunday on Instagram that the case she had filed against Kim had been referred to prosecutors.

"Not a single case was dropped — all were referred," So said. "I filed every complaint under charges of defamation through false statements of fact, and every single one was recognized as false. It was also determined that Kim Se-eui himself was aware they were false at the time."

"I am all the more furious that he knowingly spread lies as if they were the truth, purely for his own gain," she said.

"My family was torn apart by Kim Se-eui and those who follow him," So said. "The reality that I had to protect my children is what kept me going through this hellish year and four months."

So said she would also pursue a civil damages claim. "I may not be at Kim Soo-hyun's level, but in terms of a writer's income, I was in the top 5 percent," she said. "I think a 1 billion won damages claim is entirely feasible." She added that while the full amount may be difficult to win — and even harder to collect if awarded — she wanted the world to know "that those who spread fake news will never be able to make a comeback."

Kim Soo-hyun's side has also announced plans to pursue a damages claim of around 30 billion won against Kim Se-eui.

The dispute began in February last year, when Kim Se-eui claimed So had worked in the entertainment and escort industry. So immediately rebuffed the allegation, saying she had gone undercover solely to research a novel and had never actually worked in the industry. She also said her children had been subjected to harassment and criticism from those around them as a result of the false reports.

So has built her reputation as a writer who gives voice to the vulnerable, serving as the original author and screenwriter behind films including "Tunnel," "Wish" and "Beasts Clawing at Straws."