A man convicted of defaming ex-son-in-law over the Internet

In early August 2013, a man surnamed Yun (aged 70) was busy in writing something on the web. Belatedly knowing the fact that his son-in-law filed a lawsuit for divorce with his daughter two years ago, Yun decided to get back at him by posting groundless rumors.

Angered by his son-in-law’s acts, Yun sent an email to request his acquaintance Lee (aged 28) to post rumors on the web that the son-in-law and his father have been evading tax incurred in the operation of a dental clinic. Receiving directions from Yun, Lee uploaded 20 postings containing unfounded rumors that "dentist `A` mustered his clients through a pyramid selling structure that gives allowance to a former client if the person brings new clients," and "A is now under prosecutors’ investigation on suspicion of tax evasion worth 7.5 billion won (approx. 6.8 million U.S. dollars) using several tens of borrowed-name bank accounts."

When the portal site blocked posting of such groundless rumors, the father’s love that lost direction became stronger. Yun purchased 30 IDs and repeatedly posted at an Internet cafe false information about his ex-son-in-law, such as "A is forbidden to leave the nations," or "A`s father, chairman of the clinic, is abandoning his daughter-in-law like throwing away an old hat.’

Judge Sohn Ju-cheol at the Seoul Central District Court said on Sunday, “Yun’s crime cannot be accepted given that he committed ID theft to upload postings on the blog. He has been committing the crime for a long period and the act’s severity is quite serious.” The court sentenced Yun to 10 months in prison.