Legoland Theme Park in Chuncheon. (Image courtesy of Yonahp)
CHUNCHEON, July 12 (Korea Bizwire) — A South Korean court has ruled in favor of Legoland Korea in a defamation lawsuit against cultural heritage activists who publicly accused the theme park of destroying historical sites and labeled it a “land of immorality.”
The Chuncheon District Court on Friday ordered three leaders of separate cultural preservation groups to pay damages after they displayed banners and distributed flyers disparaging Legoland, which opened in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, in 2022.
The activists had hung banners near roads and parking lots around the park with provocative messages such as, “We didn’t fight for independence to visit Legoland that destroys ancestral tombs,” and “Legoland = Paeryunland (land of immorality).”
One of the defendants, identified as Mr. A, also handed out flyers to visitors and posted a video on YouTube accusing the park of corrupt practices and cultural destruction.
In the video, Mr. A claimed that visitor numbers had plummeted shortly after opening and alleged that schools were being “systematically mobilized” to boost attendance. “We’re teaching our children immorality — this is a sign of national collapse,” he said.
The defendants argued in court that their actions were based on public interest and freedom of expression, insisting the banners were rooted in factual claims about heritage protection.
However, the court found the expressions to be defamatory and lacking sufficient basis. “Referring to Legoland as ‘Paeryunland’ and claiming that playing there causes children to ‘lose their spirit’ amounts to personal attacks and insults,” the ruling stated. It also noted that the allegations of tomb and heritage destruction were not supported by evidence.
The court ordered the three defendants to jointly pay ₩3 million ($2,200) in damages to Legoland Korea for the banners. Mr. A was ordered to pay an additional ₩1 million ($730) for distributing flyers and uploading defamatory content online. A local online news publisher, identified as Mr. B, was also ordered to pay ₩1.5 million ($1,100) for amplifying the activists’ claims in an article that the court said harmed Legoland’s public reputation.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
