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🇰🇷 South Korea /Crime & Justice

Ha Tae-keung loses defamation suit against Park Jie-won over NIS 'X-file' remarks; vows appeal

From Hankyoreh · (4m ago) Korean Critical tone

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • Former lawmaker Ha Tae-keung lost a defamation lawsuit against Rep. Park Jie-won over remarks about the NIS 'X-file'.
  • The court ruled that Park's statements, made on a radio show, did not constitute defamation against Ha.
  • Ha Tae-keung stated he cannot accept the ruling and plans to appeal.

A Seoul court has ruled against former People Power Party lawmaker Ha Tae-keung in his defamation lawsuit against Rep. Park Jie-won of the Democratic Party. The case centered on remarks Park made in June 2022, about a month after stepping down as Director of the National Intelligence Service (NIS). During an appearance on CBS Radio's "Kim Hyun-jung's News Show," Park alleged that the NIS had compiled "X-files" containing personal information on prominent figures for 60 years, dating back to the Park Chung-hee administration.

I cannot accept the first-instance ruling at all.

— Ha Tae-keungThe former lawmaker expressed his dissatisfaction with the court's decision immediately after the ruling.

Park claimed that when he mentioned the potential for "divorce" if these files were released, Ha Tae-keung, then the National Assembly Intelligence Committee coordinator, responded by asking why he would be divorced, implying Ha had personal reasons to fear the file's disclosure. Park further recounted Ha's alleged plea to "not release it." Ha vehemently denied this exchange, accusing Park of fabricating a conversation to damage his reputation and public trust. He subsequently filed a 100 million won (approximately $73,000 USD) lawsuit against Park for defamation and spreading false information.

I plan to appeal swiftly.

— Ha Tae-keungHa Tae-keung announced his intention to challenge the court's decision in a higher court.

However, the court sided with Park, finding that his statements did not meet the legal threshold for defamation. This ruling is a significant setback for Ha Tae-keung, who had positioned himself as a victim of fabricated accusations. In a Facebook post following the verdict, Ha expressed his strong disagreement, stating, "I cannot accept the first-instance ruling at all" and announced his intention to "swiftly appeal." The case highlights the contentious nature of political discourse in South Korea, where accusations of fabricated conversations and defamation lawsuits are not uncommon. For Ha, this is not just a legal defeat but a blow to his political image, and the upcoming appeal will be crucial in determining the final outcome and public perception.

He fabricated a conversation that did not take place between us, dealing a fatal blow to the trust I have built with the public.

— Ha Tae-keungHa Tae-keung previously stated his accusation against Park Jie-won on his Facebook page.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Hankyoreh in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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