Announcer Hwang Soo Kyung and Actress Jo Jung Rin File Suits Against TV Chosun

KBS announcer Hwang Soo Kyung, with her assistant prosecutor general husband, sued TV Chosun for damages and requested a correction report after the cable network reported that she and her husband had divorced, without verifying the truth of the rumor. The trial started on October 30 at the Seoul Central District Court.

A total of seven people, including Hwang Soo Kyung, her husband, and actress and former reported Jo Jung Rin, sued the head of press, as well as member sof the cast and production crew of the program. They are requesting 500,000,000 won in damages (approx. $470,000).

At the trial, Hwang Soo Kyung’s lawyer stated that “TV Chosun has made no attempt to apologize for the false report, and since there was no apology, there was no correction, either.”

At this, TV Chosun’s lawyer countered, “We acknowledge that we took a rumor straight to TV broadcast. However, the program in question isn’t formal news, but a program that lightly reports entertainment gossip. How many viewers would have actually taken the rumor to be true?” 

When asked about the correction report, they said, “Before the Press Arbitration Commission charges us with damages, we will not release a correction report.”

While this case was processed for correction through the Press Arbitration Commission, it did not go through and was passed on to the civil court.

Meanwhile, TV Chosun’s defense lawyer has stated a desire to reach a smooth agreement with the plaintiffs.

Source 1, 2, 3