Threatened to Attack Shin Sekyung with Acid... Fate of Troll Who Posted 450 Malicious Posts

Agency: "We will respond firmly under our zero-tolerance policy"
"We will ensure they face legal consequences, no matter how long it takes"

An online troll who had been harassing and defaming actress Shin Sekyung for an extended period has been sentenced to prison in both the first trial and the appellate trial.

On November 2, her agency, The Present Company, said, "On October 22, an online troll who had persistently threatened and maliciously defamed our actress Shin Sekyung was sentenced to eight months in prison in an appellate trial at the Seoul Eastern District Court and taken into custody in court."

The defendant was indicted on charges of posting about 450 threatening and insulting messages targeting Shin Sekyung on online communities over roughly two months, from June to August 2024. Some of the posts reportedly included threats to attack her with acid. The defendant was charged with, among other offenses, insult and making threats. The first-trial court sentenced the defendant to prison, saying the conduct "caused significant harm to society."

Actress Shin Sekyung. Instagram.

The appellate court also noted that, over a period of just over two months, the defendant repeatedly posted hundreds of anonymously written, contemptuous insults and abusive messages targeting Shin Sekyung.

The defendant appealed for leniency, citing personal circumstances including depression and expressing remorse, but the appeal was rejected. The appellate court said, "The victim had to go about her life amid anxiety and fear that someone she did not even know might inflict extreme and bizarre harm on her," adding that "the defendant has not made amends for the mental shock and suffering caused to the victim by the offenses in this case."

The agency said, "We will continue to respond firmly, in accordance with our zero-tolerance policy, to illegal acts that violate the rights and interests of our artists, including threats, malicious defamation, and libel and insult," adding, "No matter how long it takes, we will pursue those responsible to the end and ensure they face appropriate legal consequences."

It added, "This ruling is a valuable result achieved through the efforts of our fans. We are deeply grateful to everyone who supported us by submitting materials they had steadily collected over a long period," and said, "We will continue to respond firmly to all illegal acts that violate the personal rights of our artists, and ask fans to remain vigilant and continue to report such acts."

Meanwhile, Shin Sekyung, who was born in 1990, made her debut in 1998 as a poster model for Seo Tai Ji, the first solo album and fifth studio album by Seo Taiji. She has since appeared in various productions, including the television dramas "High Kick Through the Roof" and "Six Flying Dragons." In May, she won the Best Supporting Actress award in the film category at the 62nd Baeksang Arts Awards for the film "Humint."

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