A woman in her 30s has been indicted without detention for repeatedly posting malicious content online targeting actor Han Ji-min.

According to legal sources Wednesday, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office indicted the woman, surnamed Lee, on Oct. 20 on charges of intimidation and defamation.

Lee is accused of uploading 19 posts to her social media accounts in September and October last year, including threats to sabotage films starring Han and messages like “Shut your mouth.” She also reportedly tagged Han and her acquaintances in some of the posts.

BH Entertainment, Han’s agency, filed a criminal complaint against Lee with the Gangnam Police Precinct in November last year. Police sought assistance from the U.S.-based operator of the social media platform to identify Lee and summoned Han as the complainant. The case was forwarded to prosecutors in March with a recommendation to indict Lee.

Prosecutors conducted further questioning of both Han and Lee before bringing the case to trial.

The harassment allegedly began after media reports in August last year linked Han to Choi Jung-hoon, lead vocalist of the indie rock band Jannabi. The pair have since admitted that they are in a relationship.


This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY HYEON YE-SEUL [shin.minhee@joongang.co.kr]