A South Korean court has upheld a fine against Park Soon-hyuk, known as the "Battery Guy," who claimed on his YouTube channel that Kim Hee-young, the partner of SK Group Chairman Choi Tae-won, is a Chinese spy.
On November 6, the Seoul Eastern District Court's 5th Criminal Division, led by Judge Kim Yang-hoon, confirmed the original ruling that imposed a fine of 7 million won on Park for violating the Information and Communications Network Act by spreading false information that defamed Kim.
The court stated, "The prosecutor argued that the sentence was too lenient, but it appears appropriate."
Park, a former public relations director at the battery company Kumyang, gained notoriety as the "Battery Guy" for emphasizing the importance of the battery industry on various YouTube channels. After leaving Kumyang in 2023, he now operates a YouTube channel with approximately 120,000 subscribers.
Last year, on his channel, Park claimed, "SK is actually showing many pro-China and dangerous behaviors, one of which is Kim Hee-young," suggesting that "there is a high possibility that she is a Chinese spy." He also alleged that Choi Tae-won’s push for divorce from his wife, Lee So-young, director of the Art Center Nabi, was motivated by a desire to transfer SK Hynix to China, driven by an interest in advanced semiconductor technology. Park claimed that Choi intended to make their child, born from his relationship with Kim, the successor to the company and then facilitate a takeover by Chinese interests.
Choi filed a complaint against Park about a month after the video was uploaded, in February of last year.
During the investigation, Park denied the allegations, stating that he was merely expressing his opinion on China's interference in elections.
The first trial court had found the charges against Park to be valid, noting the significant potential for dissemination due to the nature of the media. However, it also acknowledged that Park had admitted his wrongdoing and had no prior convictions, resulting in the 7 million won fine.
In response, the prosecutor filed an appeal on July 15, arguing that the sentence was too lenient, and sought an 8-month prison term, the same as in the first trial. Park did not file a separate appeal.
Meanwhile, Kim has been taking legal action against YouTubers who have indiscriminately spread false information about her, often referred to as "cyber wreckers." In May, she won a defamation lawsuit against a YouTuber who spread false information about her and her mother, with the court ordering the YouTuber to pay 20 million won in damages.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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