Gong Yoo’s agency says malicious commenter sentenced to suspended prison term

Actor Gong Yoo / Courtesy of Management SOOP

An individual who spread false information and posted malicious content about actor Gong Yoo over several years has been sentenced to prison with a suspended term, the actor’s agency said Monday.

His agency Management SOOP said in a statement Tuesday that a person in her 40s who had “habitually spread slander and falsehoods” about the actor since 2020 was recently found guilty by the Daejeon District Court and sentenced to six months in prison, suspended for two years.

“The perpetrator repeatedly posted defamatory comments and fabricated claims online that severely damaged the actor’s reputation,” the agency said, adding that the court had recognized the “malicious intent and gravity” of the crimes in handing down the sentence.

The agency reaffirmed its zero-tolerance policy toward online abuse, saying it would continue to take strong legal action without leniency or settlement, including in ongoing cases.

Management SOOP has previously taken legal steps to protect other actors under its management, including Gong Hyo-jin and Suzy.

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.