A woman in her 40s has been fined for stalking actress Hwang Jung-min.
On September 8, the Uijeongbu District Court's Goyang branch, presided over by Judge Kim Young-ah, sentenced the woman, identified as A, to a fine of 6 million won for violating the law on the punishment of stalking crimes. She was also ordered to complete a 40-hour stalking treatment program.
A did not attend the sentencing hearing, and only her attorney was present.
The court stated, "Considering the frequency and number of messages, it is recognized that the victim experienced anxiety and fear. It is also judged that the defendant was aware that the victim did not wish to continue contact."
The court further explained, "Even if there was a legitimate reason to contact, the content and frequency of the messages exceeded what could justify the defendant's actions."
Following the first-instance ruling, Hwang Jung-min's agency released a statement saying, "The court recognized all of the defendant's continuous and malicious stalking acts as guilty and imposed a fine of 6 million won along with a 40-hour stalking treatment program."
The agency added, "The defendant's actions have seriously infringed upon the daily life of our actor, clearly constituting stalking. We believe this ruling confirms that stalking behavior threatening another person's life cannot be justified for any reason, and we deeply respect the judiciary's decision."
The agency also announced plans for additional legal action separate from the first-instance ruling. They stated, "We are planning all legal measures against the continued dissemination of false information and maliciously edited recordings during the trial, and we will hold the defendant legally accountable for any further actions without leniency."
Previously, A was investigated and brought to trial following a complaint filed by Hwang Jung-min's team in August of last year. In February, the court issued a summary order imposing a fine of 3 million won on A, but she contested this and requested a formal trial.
This case came to light when A claimed on her social media that she had a personal relationship with Hwang Jung-min, sharing recorded phone calls and message conversations.
A has acknowledged sending messages to Hwang Jung-min that implied suicide, along with a will and photos of a cat's corpse, but has maintained that she did not intend to cause anxiety or fear. The prosecution sought a fine of 10 million won against A.
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.