Professional basketball player Heo Ung of the Busan KCC Egis, who was indicted on charges of defaming his ex-girlfriend, denied all allegations during his first formal trial on Wednesday.

The Seoul Central District Court held its first hearing in the case involving alleged violations of the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection, namely defamation.


“In February 2024, Heo arranged for media reports with claims about his former partner’s abortion, monetary demands and alleged drug use to be published,” the prosecutors stated. “In July of the same year, he appeared on a YouTube channel and disclosed details about the victim’s abortion and requests for money, thereby damaging her reputation by publicly revealing private information with the intent to defame her.”

Heo appeared in a YouTube interview in July 2024, claiming that his ex-girlfriend grabbed him by the collar and that she repeatedly threatened him for money.

"[We] deny all charges,” said Heo's legal team. “The media interviews were conducted by Heo's legal representative, not by Heo himself and there was no prior coordination or instruction from Heo.”

“The YouTube appearance was also not intended to defame anyone, but was an act of self-defense aimed at preventing the spread of false claims and uncovering the truth,” Heo's lawyers added.

Prosecutors requested that Heo’s former girlfriend testify as a witness during the trial on Wednesday.

The court scheduled the next hearing for Aug. 12, taking into account the Asian Games, which are set to begin in September and said witness examinations would also be conducted then.

Last year, Heo was summarily fined 3 million won ($2,000) on the same charges, but requested a formal trial in an objection to the ruling.


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 JANG GU-SEUL [lee.jiwon10@joongang.co.kr]