SEOUL, Dec. 16 (Korea Bizwire) – The Seoul Central District Court upheld a previous ruling that imposed a fine on local pop artist Lee Byeong-ha for distributing leaflets ridiculing South Korean president Park Geun-hye.
The 48-year-old artist, often known by his stage name Leeha, distributed a total of some 18,000 leaflets in Seoul and other major cities between 2014 and 2015. He was fined 2 million won ($1,700) by the court, which viewed his act as a misdemeanor.
Another individual, a 38-year-old identified only as Han, was also ordered to pay 200,000 won for collaborating with Lee in May of last year.
“The defendants said it was a fair expression of their political views, but considering the amount, the location and how the leaflets were spread, their actions cannot be justified,” the court said in the previous ruling.
Image Credit: Yonhap / photonews@koreabizwire.com
