Young-sook (real name Baek), a contestant from Season 16 of the ENA and SBS Plus variety show "I Am Solo," has had her conviction for defamation and insult against a fellow contestant upheld by the Supreme Court.

On the 16th, the Supreme Court dismissed the appeal filed by Baek, who was charged with violating the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection (defamation) and insult. Consequently, the first-instance ruling of a 2 million won fine, delivered in July of last year by the Daegu District Court, and the appellate court ruling from April of this year, remain in effect. This concludes the legal dispute between the two parties, which began in late 2023, after approximately three years.

The case began in November 2023 when "I Am Solo" Season 16 contestant Sang-chul (real name Kang Jung-hwan) filed a complaint against Baek for defamation under the Information and Communications Network Act. Later, in May 2024, an insult charge was added due to Baek's actions, such as using profanity toward Kang during a live broadcast, and the prosecution indicted her on both charges.

After the Supreme Court ruling, Kang stated, "Three years is by no means a short time. The repeated spread of false stories caused great pain not only to me but also to my family and those around me. While today's ruling cannot turn back time, I believe it is a meaningful decision that confirms that the truth eventually comes to light, even if it takes time, and that actions that defame others must be held accountable."

He added, "I hope this ruling serves as an opportunity to reaffirm that, even in online spaces, exposure without fact-checking and personal attacks cannot be protected under the name of freedom of expression, and that this result is not just for me personally."

Kang's legal representative, attorney Lee Yong-ik of Attention Law Firm, stated, "This ruling confirms that the spread of false information and defamation occurring in online spaces carries the same legal responsibility as general defamation." He added, "Now that the criminal ruling has been finalized, we plan to proceed with a civil lawsuit for damages, and we will also hold the perpetrator accountable for the mental and social harm suffered by the victim." 

(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Kyung-youn)