Squid Game star Gong Yoo wins defamation case; woman gets 6 months' prison time for false harassment claims

Gong Yoo has won a defamation case against a woman who falsely accused him of harassment. The Daejeon District Court sentenced her to six months in prison.

South Korean actor Gong Yoo, known for his roles in Goblin, Squid Game, and Train to Busan, has been vindicated in a defamation case involving false accusations of harassment.

South Korean actor Gong Yoo has won a defamation case as a woman was sentenced for falsely accusing him of harassment

Woman sentenced for 6 months' jail time

According to a news report by Allkpop, on 29 July, the Daejeon District Court’s Criminal Division 5 sentenced a woman in her 40s, identified only as A, to six months in prison, suspended for two years of probation. She was found guilty of spreading false information and violating the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilisation and Information Protection.

According to Korean media, between January 2020 and March 2021, the woman posted 235 defamatory comments and online posts falsely claiming Gong Yoo had threatened and harassed her. In one instance, during a live broadcast hosted by the actor in January 2020, she wrote, “I’m being threatened from behind, and there isn’t a single day I haven’t been threatened,” and added, “He torments me to the point of neurosis.”

Gong Yoo had no personal relationship with the woman

However, investigations confirmed that Gong Yoo had no personal relationship with the woman, and her claims were entirely fabricated. The court stated, “The claims made by A are completely groundless and, beyond that, she repeatedly spread false information over a long period.”

Despite two prior convictions for similar offences, the court considered her acknowledgement of the crime and willingness to receive psychiatric treatment in deciding the suspended sentence. Still, the court stressed the severity of the situation due to Gong Yoo's public status, stating, “Even though the victim is a public figure… the nature of the crime is very serious.”

The case highlights the emotional and reputational toll false accusations can have on public figures and is viewed as a significant legal precedent in addressing online defamation involving celebrities by Korean media.