TV personality Seo Yuri says she reported years of online stalking―only to be forwarded to prosecutors herself as a suspect for alleged defamation.
On the 5th, Seo posted a lengthy statement on her social media. “Since 2020, online communities have repeatedly uploaded thousands of malicious posts,” she wrote. “Every day, there were posts wishing for my death, sexual insults, and attacks on my character.” She added, “I filed a complaint against the perpetrator for violating the anti-stalking law, and police sent the case to prosecutors with a recommendation to indict. But at the prosecution stage, they kept asking for supplemental investigations, and there’s been no conclusion for months. As the case switched hands between multiple prosecutors, it stayed in limbo―neither indicted nor dismissed.”
During that process, Seo says she shared her experience on social media and asked the public to petition for a heavy sentence. After that, the alleged perpetrator filed a countersuit accusing her of defamation. According to Seo, the perpetrator claims her account is false and argues that revealing their surname and sharing the petition amounts to defamation.
“The perpetrator deleted all their posts and now says they ‘never did any of that,’” Seo wrote. “I’m being accused of defamation just for stating the facts.” She says the case was re-investigated and then forwarded to prosecutors―with Seo now listed as the suspect.
“A stalking victim became a suspect simply for speaking out and asking for help,” she said. “I’m not receiving any protection right now.” Seo continued, “The anti-stalking law was created to protect victims, but it isn’t working in real life. If a victim tells the truth, it’s treated as defamation. If we protest, we become the suspect. This system needs to change.”
Seo previously revealed ongoing malicious posts and cyberbullying on online communities last year and said she was taking legal action.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Kyung-youn)