On March 14, the Uijeongbu District Court, Criminal Division 9 (Presiding Judge Kim Bo‑hyun) sentenced inmate A to a fine of 1,000,000 KRW (approximately $750) for defamation.
Prosecutors say A accused fellow inmate B, a man in his 50s, of being a sex offender on the afternoon of Oct. 11, 2024, in the Uijeongbu prison yard in front of about 10 other inmates.
After A made the remark and others asked who he meant, investigators say he pointed at B and said, "That short guy wearing knee pads is the one who engaged in sexual acts with someone under 13."
At trial, A maintained he had not identified B by name or inmate number, denied any intent to defame, and said he only pointed to B to correct other inmates who had mistaken the person committing the lewd act for someone else while reporting B’s inappropriate behavior.
The court ruled that the Criminal Act exempts punishment when a statement is a true fact made solely in the public interest, but found that A’s public remark in the prison yard could not be regarded as falling solely within the public interest.
