A woman in her 40s, charged with stalking actor Hwang Jung-min, has been sentenced to a fine of 6 million won in her first trial. Prosecutors had previously sought a 10 million won fine.

At 10:00 a.m. today, Judge Kim Young-ah of Criminal Division 4 at the Goyang Branch of the Uijeongbu District Court held the sentencing hearing for the defendant, identified as A, who was indicted for violating the Stalking Punishment Act.

The court found A guilty of stalking and sentenced her to a 6 million won fine, along with an order to complete 40 hours of a stalking treatment program.

The court pointed out that considering the content, frequency, and number of messages, they were enough to cause anxiety or fear to Hwang. It also determined that A knew Hwang did not wish to be contacted. The court stated, "Even if there were legitimate reasons to contact him, the content and frequency of the messages exceeded the level that could justify the defendant's actions."

While A claimed there were time intervals between contacts, the court explained that combining the frequency and content of each contact at the time they were made, the requirements of persistence and repetition stipulated by the Stalking Punishment Act were met.

Regarding the sentencing reasons, the court stated, "We took into account unfavorable factors such as the defendant showing little remorse and pressuring the victim, resulting in unfavorable circumstances after the crime. However, we considered as a favorable factor that the defendant has no prior criminal record."

A did not attend the courtroom on this day, with only representatives for Hwang and A's defense counsel in attendance.

If A wishes to appeal the verdict, she can do so within seven days from the sentencing date. If an appeal is filed, the case will move to the second trial; otherwise, the first-instance ruling will be finalized.

Hwang's agency, SEM Company, released a statement through its official account, saying, "Through this ruling, the court has clarified that the defendant's past actions constitute a 'severe infringement upon the daily life of our affiliated actor' and amount to a clear stalking crime." The agency added, "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 hinted at additional legal responses separate from the first-instance verdict. SEM Company stated, "We are planning all legal measures regarding the continuous spread of false information and the malicious editing and disclosure of voice recordings during the trial. We will hold her legally responsible for any additional actions by the defendant without any leniency."

(SBS Entertainment News, Reporter Kim Ji-hye)