World · East Asia & Pacific · 2 hrs ago
Busan pastor fined for false claims about former church member
A court in Busan fined a pastor 2 million won for remarks he made about a former church member on YouTube.
The pastor was found guilty of spreading false information about the person’s private life and insulting them.
He claimed the former member had an affair at 19 and had been known by a particular nickname at school.
The court found those claims were untrue.
In a later broadcast, he named the person and made insulting remarks.
The pastor argued his actions were justified, but the judge rejected that argument after considering the circumstances and content of his statements.
The fine is the court’s penalty for the online remarks; no further legal steps were described.
A Busan pastor was fined 2 million won for spreading false claims about a former church member and insulting him on YouTube.
The Busan District Court rejected the pastor’s argument that his actions were legally justified.
The pastor was accused of claiming the former member had been known by a violent-sounding nickname and had an affair at age 19.
He was also accused of naming the former member in a later broadcast and insulting him.
- Who
- A pastor from a church in Busan, identified as A, and a former church member, identified as B.
- What
- A was fined 2 million won for defamation and insult.
- When
- The broadcasts took place on Jan. 10 and April 10; the ruling was reported on Nov. 1, 2026.
- Where
- In YouTube broadcasts; the case was heard at the Busan District Court.
- Why
- The court found that A spread false claims about B and insulted him. A argued his actions were justified.
Pastor A
Busan District Court judge Byun Seong-hwan
Legal justification
Pastor A
A argued his conduct was a justified act under criminal law.
Busan District Court judge Byun Seong-hwan
The judge rejected the argument after considering the circumstances and content of the remarks.
A allegedly made false claims about B during a YouTube broadcast.
A allegedly named B during another YouTube broadcast and made insulting remarks.
Yonhap reported that the court had fined A 2 million won.
- Fine
- 2 million won
- Court
- Busan District Court, Criminal Division 4
- First broadcast
- Jan. 10
- Second broadcast
- April 10
- Former member's age in claim
- 19
1 source
What people are saying
Get a grip
You will all fall into hell