Jeong Dong-young, the Minister of Unification, has filed a defamation lawsuit against a columnist and a YouTuber who claimed he has a daughter living in North Korea.
On October 28, the Ministry of Unification announced that Minister Jeong has accused Jeong Seong-hong and Jeong Seong-san of defamation under the Information and Communications Network Act. Jeong Seong-hong, a former employee of the National Intelligence Service, wrote a column for Hanmi Ilbo, while Jeong Seong-san operates the YouTube channel 'Jeong Seong-san TV.'
The ministry stated, "While we are always open to criticism and differing opinions on policies, personal attacks based on fabricated facts cannot be protected under freedom of expression." It pointed out that the two individuals seriously damaged the minister's reputation and undermined public trust in the ministry's policies, thereby obstructing its official duties.
The ministry emphasized, "The minister does not have a daughter, has never visited Wonsan, and the claim that he received 'joy brigade' entertainment is entirely false." It clarified that his meeting with then-North Korean Defense Minister Kim Jong-il was an official meeting held in Pyongyang on June 17, 2005, as a special envoy of then-President Roh Moo-hyun.
This legal action follows Minister Jeong's announcement earlier this month regarding potential legal measures. Previously, Hanmi Ilbo published a column alleging that the minister has a 27-year-old daughter living in North Korea, a claim that spread through platforms like YouTube. On October 14, the minister denied the allegations on Facebook and requested the removal of related posts and videos.
On October 23, the Ministry of Unification applied for mediation with the Press Arbitration Commission against Hanmi Ilbo for a correction report. At that time, it also indicated that it was preparing civil and criminal legal actions against the authors and disseminators of the false articles.
The ministry stated, "In addition to this lawsuit, we will rigorously review and pursue further legal actions against those who indiscriminately spread and disseminate false information and continue malicious defamation."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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