Woman Fined for Threatening Han Ji-min Had Already Been Punished for Stalking Jannabi's Choi Jung-hoon

A woman in her 30s who was fined 6 million won for threatening and insulting actor Han Ji-min online has been identified as the same person who earlier stalked Han's partner, Jannabi's Choi Jung-hoon. She had already been punished for that stalking, which included hundreds of secret comments on his personal blog, and she then turned on Han after the couple's relationship became public.

A second conviction in a separate case

According to legal sources, Judge Lee Ye-rim of Criminal Single-Judge Division 27 at the Seoul Central District Court sentenced the woman, identified as A, to a 6 million won fine on the 16th of last month for threats and insults. A was accused of tagging Han, Choi and Han's acquaintances in 19 threatening and insulting posts on her own social media account between September and October 2024, right after the couple's relationship was made public.

The posts included the phrase "shut your mouth" and content to the effect that she would sabotage a film in which Han appears. A also claimed the relationship was fake and demanded that a breakup story be published, and she pressed Han to stop her social media activity. The court treated this as a case separate from the earlier stalking conviction over Choi.

From the singer to his partner

The investigation showed that A's record was more serious. She had been punished for stalking Choi, leaving hundreds of secret comments on his personal blog. They reportedly contained abuse, demands for private meetings, death threats, and writing and photos meant to cause sexual humiliation. She also went as far as visiting the area near his agency. For this she received a final fine of 5 million won and an order to complete a stalking treatment program.

Han and Choi made their relationship public in August 2024. They drew attention as a couple who overcame a 10-year age gap, but soon after going public they faced unwanted attacks and pressure online. After her punishment over Choi, A's target widened to include his partner: once the relationship became known, she demanded a breakup and posted messages to the effect that she would harm Han's work. Demands for a breakup story or threats to disrupt her work are hard to defend, since they amount to an attempt to control a celebrity's private life and professional activity. Obsession with one entertainer spreading to people around them shows that stalking can threaten close relationships and daily life, not only one individual.

What the court said

The court pointed to the damage done to the victim's reputation and career. "As an actor who works on the basis of public attention, the victim had worked for a long time to maintain a good reputation, but was drawn into gossip and suffered serious damage to her image," the court said. It stressed the need to sound an alarm against criticizing others, cursing at them or spreading malicious rumors while relying on the anonymity of online spaces.

In sentencing, the court took into account that A was a first-time offender in this type of case and showed remorse, and that there was no sign she actually intended physical harm. Weighing these circumstances, it set the fine at 6 million won. The ruling covers the threats and insults against Han and is separate from the punishment for stalking Choi.

A warning on online harassment

The ruling is a reminder that celebrities who attract public attention do not have to accept invasions of privacy or threats. Repeatedly sending messages or posting malicious content on social media cannot be dismissed as mere fandom or an expression of opinion, because continued unwanted contact and threats can become crimes that damage a victim's safety and reputation.

Romance and breakups are private matters for the people involved, and third parties have no right to force a split or threaten to disrupt someone's work. With A, previously punished for stalking Choi, now also found guilty in a separate case over Han, the warning that persistent online harassment should not be treated lightly has become clearer. The case has also put the seriousness of online harassment and stalking of entertainers back under scrutiny.

Read the original (Korean)