A poet was found guilty of sexual abuse, amid the recent breakout of accusations of sexual abuse in the local literary community.
The Seoul Western District Court sentenced 52-year-old poet Kim Yo-il, who was charged for committing an indecent act by force, to a four-month jail sentence with a suspended sentence of a year, Monday.
Kim was accused of kissing a woman in front of a restaurant in Seoul on June 26, 2015. He said he liked the victim and kissed her.
The victim filed a suit against Kim in March 2016 and the poet posted an apology on Facebook last November when the accusation hit the literary circle.
In trial, the poet denied kissing the victim, but the judge reasoned that the victim's statement was credible as it was consistent and logical.
"The accused did not reflect on his conduct and blamed the victim's reaction. However, he did not physically assault the woman and does not have a criminal record of the same kind of charges," the judge said in a statement.