"Divorce" Remark Prompts Lee Seunghwan to File 50 Million Won Damages Lawsuit Against Yoon Seoin

"Insulting Remarks and Personal Attacks," Claims Lee’s Side
Civil Lawsuit Chosen Over Criminal Complaint

Singer Lee Seunghwan has filed a damages lawsuit worth 50 million won against cartoonist Yoon Seoin. The lawsuit was filed on the grounds that Yoon used insulting language referencing Lee’s private life in a post on his social networking service (SNS).

A photo of singer Lee Seunghwan who posted a certified early voting post. Photo by Lee Seunghwan Instagram

On the 8th, Lee Seunghwan’s legal representative, law firm Haemaru, stated, "Mr. Lee Seunghwan has submitted a complaint for damages over insulting expressions against cartoonist Yoon Seoin to the Seoul Central District Court." The claimed amount is 50 million won in compensation for emotional distress.

This lawsuit arose after, on May 29, Lee Seunghwan posted a certified early voting photo on SNS, which prompted Yoon Seoin to publish a related post. At the time, Lee Seunghwan uploaded a voting certification photo along with a comment expressing, "Rather than seeing Seoul’s new attractions a few times a year, I wish for a Seoul that is safe all twelve months of the year."

In response, Yoon Seoin reportedly shared Lee Seunghwan’s post on his own SNS the same day, making comments about Lee’s private life and political views, such as, "A life as an agitator who’s never made a family, only got divorced, and is trapped in political delusions," and "He’s already sixty, but still making strange remarks."

Lee Seunghwan’s side viewed the post as going beyond mere expression of opinion, calling it an insulting remark targeting his private life, and decided to take legal action.

Haemaru asserted that Yoon Seoin’s post "constitutes an insulting and contemptuous personal attack that goes beyond the boundaries of freedom of expression," adding, "It is a degrading and contemptuous remark about his private life, unrelated to the overall context." They also argued that the illegality was serious because the post was shared on SNS, where an unspecified large audience could view it.

Lee Seunghwan’s side also explained why they chose a civil lawsuit rather than a criminal complaint. Haemaru said, "Mr. Lee Seunghwan respects freedom of expression, but believes that indiscriminate and unlimited insults are shrinking the public sphere in our society," and added, "We filed this lawsuit to confirm that acts of insult with a clear purpose of disparagement are illegal."

Meanwhile, Lee Seunghwan has previously indicated his intention to support activities related to documenting and collecting records of hate speech, referencing Yoon Seoin’s past posts.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.