The Korea Times close
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
Business
  • Tech
  • Bio
  • Companies
Finance
  • Companies
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Cryptocurrency
Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Thoughts of the Times
  • Cartoon
  • Today in History
  • Blogs
  • Tribune Service
  • Blondie & Garfield
  • Letter to President
  • Letter to the Editor
Lifestyle
  • Travel & Food
  • Trends
  • People & Events
  • Books
  • Around Town
  • Fortune Telling
Entertainment
& Arts
  • K-pop
  • Films
  • Shows & Dramas
  • Music
  • Theater & Others
Sports
World
  • SCMP
  • Asia
Video
  • Culture
  • People
  • News
Photos
  • Photo News
  • Darkroom
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • Site Map
  • E-paper
  • Subscribe
  • Register
  • LogIn
search close
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • Site Map
  • E-paper
  • Subscribe
  • Register
  • LogIn
search close
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
Thu, July 7, 2022 | 08:13
-------------------------
Activist for Kopino faces defamation charges
Posted : 2016-01-27 17:08
Updated : 2016-01-27 22:05
Print Preview
Font Size Up
Font Size Down
By Kim Se-jeong

Koo Bon-chang, an activist who runs a website tracking Korean men who fathered babies with Filipina women out of wedlock is facing a defamation charge.

One of the fathers whose face was disclosed on the website has filed a complaint with the prosecution here for defamation and infringement of privacy, according to Koo.

"The man texted me on Jan. 22 through Kakao, saying he was at the prosecutor's office with his lawyer to file the charge," Koo said. Neither the plaintiff nor his lawyer were available for comment.

On the website, Koo has posted photos, names, addresses and ages of 40 fathers which the Filipina women provided. Thirty-two children, also known as Kopinos, found their fathers among the 40.

Posting another person's photo on the Internet without consent infringes on privacy and defames the person, according to the Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection Act.

Violators are subject to up to a 5 million won fine or two years in prison. If the information is proven to be false, the fine is increased to 10 million won and the prison term, five years.

Concerns over possible infringement of privacy for the men have been raised since the website's opening, but this is the first legal action taken against Koo.

He said the suit will not make him stop doing what he is doing. "If I lose the case — whether it's civil or criminal — I will have to pay a fines or compensation and be done with it, and I'll do it. But no matter what happens, I will keep the website up and running," he wrote on his personal blog.

Some lawyers say he violated the law but the punishment will probably not be serious.

"Although he disclosed the men's faces, it is clear that he did it to help the Kopinos find their fathers, not to defame the men," said Kim Ji-mi from Lawyers for a Democratic Society.

The law states that if the defamation was committed in pursuit of the public interest it is not subject to punishment.

"This is the grounds upon which he can avoid punishment," Kim said.

There are an estimated 30,000 Kopinos but no official statistics are available. Most of the men were students or vacationers when they stayed in the Philippines. The children are raised in a poor environment, not fed well or medically treated when they become sick.

An NGO Koo established, "We Love Kopino," is running the website to help the Filipina mothers find the men so they can begin the legal battle for childcare.

In June 2014, the Seoul Family Court ordered the father of a Kopino child to provide 300,000 won per month in childcare, the first case involving a Kopino.

When a father contacts the NGO, it links him with the mother. The group removes the photo only when the mother consents. The group also sells cosmetic products to raise funds to cover the cost of taking care of the children.

Emailskim@ktimes.com Article ListMore articles by this reporter
 
LG
  • Woman gets 1-year imprisonment for assaulting elderly man on subway train
  • First lady thrust back into spotlight over unofficial aide
  • Seoul gov't promotes veganism to fight climate crisis
  • 'Stable environment needed to nurture Korean mathematicians': June Huh
  • Kakao falls victim to Google's in-app payment policy
  • Korea's new COVID-19 cases up for 2nd day amid resurgence concerns
  • Yoon orders military to swiftly punish North Korea in case of provocations
  • President Yoon's approval rating falls: poll
  • Court upholds ban on rallies in front of ex-president's home in Yangsan
  • Appeals court upholds prison term for father for fracturing infant son's skull
  • Lee Jung-jae, Jung Woo-sung reunite after 23 years for Lee's directorial debut, 'Hunt' Lee Jung-jae, Jung Woo-sung reunite after 23 years for Lee's directorial debut, 'Hunt'
  • 3 black-and-white photo exhibitions offer testament to 20th-century world history 3 black-and-white photo exhibitions offer testament to 20th-century world history
  • [INTERVIEW] 'Money Heist: Korea' writer feels satisfied to expand series' franchise [INTERVIEW] 'Money Heist: Korea' writer feels satisfied to expand series' franchise
  • 'Extraordinary Attorney Woo' to be adapted into webtoon 'Extraordinary Attorney Woo' to be adapted into webtoon
  • BLACKPINK to drop new album in August BLACKPINK to drop new album in August
DARKROOM
  • Afghanistan earthquake killed more than 1,000

    Afghanistan earthquake killed more than 1,000

  • Divided America reacts to overturn of Roe vs. Wade

    Divided America reacts to overturn of Roe vs. Wade

  • Namaste: Yogis to celebrate International Yoga Day

    Namaste: Yogis to celebrate International Yoga Day

  • Poor hit harder by economic crisis

    Poor hit harder by economic crisis

  • Roland Garros 2022

    Roland Garros 2022

The Korea Times
CEO & Publisher : Oh Young-jin
Digital News Email : webmaster@koreatimes.co.kr
Tel : 02-724-2114
Online newspaper registration No : 서울,아52844
Date of registration : 2020.02.05
Masthead : The Korea Times
Copyright © koreatimes.co.kr. All rights reserved.
  • About Us
  • Introduction
  • History
  • Location
  • Media Kit
  • Contact Us
  • Products & Service
  • Subscribe
  • E-paper
  • Mobile Service
  • RSS Service
  • Content Sales
  • Policy
  • Privacy Statement
  • Terms of Service
  • 고충처리인
  • Youth Protection Policy
  • Code of Ethics
  • Copyright Policy
  • Family Site
  • Hankook Ilbo
  • Dongwha Group