By Park Si-soo
Staff Reporter
The Seoul Central District Court sentenced a freelancer journalist Kim Soon-hee, 42, to one year in prison, Thursday, for defaming popular TV actor Song Il-kook, 37, by spreading a rumor that he had assaulted her. Kim said the assault resulted in her being hospitalized for six months.
The court, however, did not send her to prison pending an appeal, saying there was little possibility of her fleeing.
``Given the evidence and testimony, it seems to be true that there was some physical contact between Kim and Song. But it was not severe enough to be seen as an assault,'' the court said in its ruling.
She appealed the case immediately.
In January, Kim told a sports newspaper reporter that Song beat her up as she was gathering information to write about him. The newspaper reported the story the same month.