Woman fined for 19 threatening posts targeting actor Han Ji-min

A woman in her 30s who repeatedly posted threatening and abusive content about actor Han Ji-min online has been fined in a first-instance ruling. The court found that spreading false information to damage a person's reputation or image can constitute a threat.

Judge Lee Ye-rim of the Seoul Central District Court's Criminal Division 27 sentenced the woman, identified only by her surname Lee, to a fine of 6 million won ($4,450) on Friday on charges of intimidation and insult.

"The victim has expressed fear of reoffending and is calling for strict punishment," the court said in explaining the sentence, adding that "there is a need to sound a warning against behavior that exploits the anonymity of online spaces to criticize, insult and spread malicious rumors about others."

Immediately after delivering the sentence, the judge told Lee: "I am handing down this sentence on the belief that you recognize your wrongdoing and are genuinely remorseful. I hope you reflect on what you have done and never repeat it."

Lee faces charges of posting 19 messages on her SNS accounts between September and October 2024, including statements such as "I will sabotage any film Han Ji-min appears in" and "Shut your mouth." She was also found to have tagged Han and her associates in the posts.

Han's agency, BH Entertainment, filed a complaint against Lee with the Gangnam Police Station in Seoul in November of that year. Police forwarded the case to prosecutors with a recommendation for indictment in March the following year.