Jo Byunggyu has lost the first trial in a multi-billion KRW damages lawsuit he filed against the person who accused him of school bullying.
According to legal sources on the 1st, the Seoul Central District Court’s Civil Division 37 ruled against Jo Byunggyu and his former agency, HB Ent., in the lawsuit seeking about 4 billion KRW in damages from the accuser, identified as A. The court denied all claims made by Jo Byunggyu's side and ordered them to pay all legal costs.
Jo Byunggyu's side had argued, "A damaged our reputation by posting false claims." They continued, "Because of this, we suffered 4 billion KRW in losses due to canceled endorsement contracts and lost roles in dramas, movies, and variety shows." They also demanded compensation, including 200 million KRW for emotional damages.
However, the court stated, "Based on the evidence submitted, it is difficult to conclude that the post contained false information." The court added, "There is nothing in the conversation records between A and acquaintances that acknowledge the claims were fabricated. It appears that A deleted the post not because the content was false, but out of fear of being sued or facing a massive lawsuit for damages."
The court added, "It's also possible that A deleted the post knowing that even sharing truthful facts can lead to punishment for defamation in South Korea."
Furthermore, the court also dismissed the written statements from about 20 of Jo Byungyu's acquaintances that were submitted as evidence, saying "They are all Jo Byunggyu's acquaintances in South Korea, making it difficult to verify the facts of an incident that allegedly happened in New Zealand." The court judged that it is hard to prove the claims were false based only on the statements of people who are acquainted with Jo Byunggyu.
The court concluded, “The material submitted by Jo Byunggyu makes it difficult to prove that the allegations in A's post were entirely unfounded," and dismissed Jo Byunggyu's claim.
Jo Byunggyu's side has appealed the first trial's ruling. Separately, the criminal defamation case filed by Jo Byunggyu against A was also dismissed by the prosecution.
[+212][-7] He lost the lawsuitㅋㅋㅋㅋ
[+193][-6] He should have just stayed quiet.
[+143][-6] What is this? Why is he doing this again?
[+27][-1] If he lost, then the school bullying claims must be true.
[+22][-1] The fact that he tried to silence the victim with money is so infuriating. So shameless.
[+20][-1] From a revenge perspective, the timing was kind of thrilling The scandal broke right when he was skyrocketing to fame with 'The Uncanny Counter'ㅋㅋ
