‘Gangnam Gaepo Raemian affair incident’… Experts worry about “problematic issue”

A similar banner was hung in Yeoksam-dong.

A banner was hung in front of the Raemian apartment complex in Gaepo-dong, Gangnam-gu, which is considered a representative wealthy area in Seoul, accusing a spouse of having an affair.
 
An expert who saw this expressed concern about defamation to Segye Ilbo on the 24th.
 
According to various media outlets on this day, banners accusing adultery were reportedly hung in Gaepo-dong and Yeoksam-dong in Gangnam-gu, Seoul.
 
The banner reads, ‘No. ○○○, ○○○-dong, who has two children and seduces a married man to run two houses. It reads, ‘Kim ○○, the adulteress at a bar who ruined someone’s family, be careful of the flower snake!’
 
Next, as if taking into account the possibility of being sued for defamation, certain dong/housing numbers and the endings of names are marked with a star (*) in the content.
 
Also, a banner hung in front of a building in Yeoksam-dong reads, ‘A married man with two children acts as a bachelor, lives with an adulterous woman for three years, and is shameless and shameless with no remorse.’
 
Likewise, the name and workplace of the man on the Yeoksam-dong banner were mosaicized.
 
In particular, the two banners even contain affectionate photos of a man and woman believed to be having an affair. The unidentified person holding the banner covered their eyes, but bystanders appear to be able to recognize the person involved.
 
These banners were hung at the entrance to the apartment complex and in the lane where many vehicles pass by, causing controversy as not only nearby residents but also a citizen who saw the banner posted a photo on the Internet.
 
Regarding this banner, lawyer Kim Dong-jin of Daeryun Law Firm expressed concern to Segye Ilbo on this day, saying, “It is a requirement for establishing defamation under Article 307 (1) of the Criminal Act, and specificity is an issue.”
 
He said, “In the case of specificity, it is recognized as a direct statement, but if the general public can know who the person is talking about through indirect information, the requirement for specificity is satisfied.” He also said, “It is somewhat difficult to predict the establishment of guilt or innocence based on the content of the banner in question.”
 
He continued, “The banner avoids specificity by refraining from mentioning the real name and listing the last digit of the residence number in question as *. Therefore, if the other party can be sufficiently identified with the number of apartments in question and the additional information revealed in addition to the given information, this constitutes specificity in defamation.”
 
At the same time, he advised, “In the case of defamation when the facts are stated, it is possible to avoid punishment if it is for the public interest according to the grounds for illegality under Article 310 of the Criminal Act.” He added, “However, in this case, it is difficult to say that it was for the public interest, so it appears that Article 310 of the Criminal Act will not apply.”

Reporter Lee Dong-jun (blondie@segye.com)

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Gangnam Gaepo Raemian affair incident'... Expert concerns about “problematic issue” (Shortcut)