Actress Lee Young-ae has been recommended for mediation by the court in the second trial of the civil lawsuit she filed against YouTuber Jeong Cheon-soo, the former head of Open Communication TV, stating that it is a matter with potential for misunderstanding.
The 13th Civil Division of the Seoul High Court (Presiding Judge Moon Kwang-seob) recommended reconciliation during the first hearing of the second trial held on the 18th regarding Lee Young-ae's claim for damages amounting to 250 million won, stating, "If there is a part where her honor has been damaged, it can be corrected, and if the plaintiff shows some leniency, mediation may be possible."
The court noted, "This case is not one that can be clearly divided into right and wrong, but rather a matter that involves interpretation and potential misunderstanding," and added, "Since the video posted by the former representative can be interpreted differently depending on how viewers perceive it, it would be desirable to clarify the intent through mediation."
However, the former representative's side expressed reluctance towards mediation, stating, "The plaintiff's demand not to speak depending on the political situation poses a serious risk of infringing on press freedom," and reiterated that "mediation is difficult."
On that day, the court confirmed that both sides had no additional documents to submit or claims to make and concluded the hearing. However, it did not set a date for the ruling, leaving the possibility of mediation open.
The incident dates back to September of last year. At that time, Lee Young-ae donated 50 million won to the Lee Seung-man Presidential Foundation, and the YouTube channel 'Open Communication TV,' operated by the former representative, interpreted the donation as being due to "a friendship with Mrs. Kim Geon-hee." The video has since been deleted.
Lee Young-ae's side defined this as "fake news with no basis in fact" and filed both civil and criminal lawsuits. However, the first trial civil court ruled in favor of the former representative in December of last year.
The criminal trial is currently ongoing. The Seoul Western District Prosecutor's Office issued a summary order for a fine of 7 million won against the former representative for defamation under the Information and Communications Network Act, and the former representative contested this, leading to a formal trial.
