A local court on Friday dismissed a defamation suit filed against President Park Geun-hye by a South Korean politician accused of praising North Korea at talk shows she hosted last year.
Hwang Sun, a former deputy spokeswoman of the now-defunct Democratic Labor Party, filed a suit with the Seoul Central District Court in December 2014, seeking 5 million won ($4,300) in compensation from President Park Geun-hye for accusing her shows of being pro-North Korean at a meeting with senior secretaries.
The plaintiff claimed she suffered mentally as President Park said Hwang distorted the brutal human rights situation in the North.
The 41-year-old was indicted in February on charges of making flattering remarks about North Korea during the on-stage talk shows, in violation of the South’s National Security Law.
The law bans any activity meant to praise or propagandize North Korean ideals. Seoul remains technically at war with Pyongyang since the 1950-53 Korean War ended in an armistice, not a peace treaty.
Hwang said Park’s remarks, which were made when Hwang was under investigation by prosecutors, had a negative impact on the probe results.
The court, however, said some of the remarks were simple opinions, which do not hold liability for defamation compensation, and others were based on facts which cannot be illegal. (Yonhap)
