Ex-agency staffer who accused singer Jang Woo-hyuk of abuse acquitted again on appeal

A former agency staffer who publicly alleged that singer Jang Woo-hyuk of the group H.O.T. had verbally and physically abused her was acquitted for the second time Thursday on defamation charges stemming from her claims.

The Seoul Western District Court's second criminal appeals division dismissed the prosecution's appeal Thursday and upheld the lower court's not-guilty verdict against the defendant, surnamed Kim, who had been indicted on defamation charges under the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection.

On the charge of defamation through false statements, the court said it was "difficult to conclude that the falsity of the claims — regarding the alleged assault — has been clearly proven."

The court also upheld the not-guilty ruling on the charge of defamation through true statements, finding that "given the victim's status and influence, there is clearly a dimension of public interest involved."

Kim posted an account on an online community in June 2022 alleging that Jang had verbally and physically abused her in the past.

She claimed Jang assaulted her in 2014 and again in 2020, writing: "I had long endured verbal abuse and personal humiliation from him, thinking it was something I simply had to bear. I told myself that choosing to stay and work through it was my own decision, so I blamed myself for everything. Some people even told me they thought he held back because I was a woman."

Jang filed a defamation complaint against Kim, calling her allegations groundless.

The trial court found Kim not guilty, ruling that Jang's account lacked credibility.