Compulsory Mediation Ordered in 200 Million Won Damages Suit by Woman Accused of Stalking Hwang Jung-min; Both Sides Absent

Woman in Her 40s Claims Unpaid Work and Psychological Damages

The court has issued a compulsory mediation decision in a lawsuit in which a woman in her 40s, identified as A, filed a claim for damages of around 200 million won against actor Hwang Jung-min, with both parties absent from the scheduled mediation hearing.

Yonhap News Agency

According to legal sources on August 14, the Seoul Central District Court, at 3:30 p.m. that day, saw both parties fail to appear at the mediation hearing for A's damages claim against Hwang Jung-min at the Seoul Court Mediation Center. As a result, the court determined that no settlement was reached during the civil mediation process and decided to issue a compulsory mediation order.

Compulsory mediation is a system in which the court, on its own authority, renders a decision in place of an agreement between the parties. Unless either party files an objection within two weeks of the court’s decision, it is finalized. The contents of the decision have not been disclosed.

An official at the Court Mediation Center told reporters on August 14, "In principle, both parties should be present at the mediation stage, but since neither side appeared, a decision was issued in lieu of mediation for both parties."

Earlier, A claimed that Hwang had proposed a soju brand business, for which she managed practical affairs, and encouraged her to write a novel. However, she asserted that she did not receive compensation for her work and suffered psychological harm as a result, leading her to file a damages suit in February. The amount claimed is 200 million won.

Senior Judge Lee Seongjin at the Civil Division 42 of the Seoul Central District Court referred the case to mediation in June. The mediation process in civil litigation is a system designed to resolve disputes through an agreement between the parties. If mediation is achieved, it has the same legal effect as a court settlement. If mediation fails or an objection is filed against the compulsory mediation decision, the litigation process resumes.

Currently, A is standing trial on charges of stalking Hwang Jung-min. In February, the court issued a summary order for a fine of 3 million won against A, but she objected and requested a formal trial.

Recently, A has claimed via her personal social media accounts that she had a private relationship with Hwang Jung-min, releasing recorded calls and messages. On August 11, during the sentencing hearing at the Goyang branch of the Uijeongbu District Court, presided over by Senior Judge Kim Youngah of Criminal Division 4, prosecutors sought a fine of 10 million won for A.

A has completely denied the stalking allegations, insisting that her interactions with Hwang were mutual rather than one-sided. In contrast, Hwang's side argued that A continued to contact him and threatened suicide, even after he had made it clear he did not wish to communicate.

The verdict on A’s stalking charges is scheduled to be delivered on September 8.

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