A district court has handed down a criminal sentence to an individual identified only as “A,” who was prosecuted for the persistent stalking of renowned South Korean actor Hwang Jung-min.
On the morning of September 8, Judge Kim Yeong-a, presiding over the Criminal Division 4 at the Uijeongbu District Court’s Goyang Branch, issued a verdict finding the defendant guilty of violating the Stalking Punishment Act. The court sentenced A to a fine of 6 million won. Additionally, the judge ordered the defendant to complete a mandatory 40-hour stalking treatment program. Neither A nor the actor were present in court for the sentencing, with only their respective legal representatives in attendance.
The judgment follows a legal battle initiated after prosecutors had requested a steeper penalty of 10 million won during closing arguments held last month. The case stems from a prolonged campaign of harassment directed at the actor, which eventually led to formal legal intervention.
Throughout the legal proceedings, the defendant utilized social media platforms to assert that they maintained a private, personal relationship with Hwang, who is married. To support these claims, A went as far as releasing snippets of recorded phone conversations and private messages purportedly exchanged with the actor.
Hwang Jung-min’s agency, Sam Company, has consistently and flatly denied all of A’s allegations, labeling them as entirely “not factual.” In a statement released on behalf of the actor, the agency described A as a “suspect in stalking crimes” who had engaged in a pattern of continuous and unwanted harassment.
The road to this verdict has been fraught with previous attempts to curb the defendant’s behavior. According to representatives for the actor, the court had previously issued three separate temporary restraining orders, mandating that A have no contact with Hwang. Initially, the legal system issued a summary order imposing a 3 million won fine after acknowledging the stalking allegations. However, dissatisfied with the initial ruling, A contested the decision and requested a formal trial, a move that ultimately resulted in today’s updated sentence.
The conviction marks a significant development in what has been a highly publicized legal dispute between the actor and the individual. While A continues to maintain an online presence, the court’s ruling emphasizes the severity of the behavior, highlighting the legal consequences for individuals who bypass boundaries and engage in criminal harassment under the guise of personal or parasocial connections.
The defense and the prosecution are now reviewing the court’s decision as the legal chapter surrounding the stalking allegations reaches this definitive first-instance conclusion.
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