Woman in Her 30s Who Threatened Actress Shin Se-kyung with Acid Attack Comments Sentenced to 8 Months in Prison and Arrested in Court

A woman in her 30s who posted hundreds of threatening comments toward actress Shin Se-kyung, including 'I'll pour acid on you,' was sentenced to eight months in prison in her appeal trial and arrested in court. The case demonstrates that punishment for malicious online comments can lead to actual criminal liability.

The woman is charged with posting more than 400 messages of profanity and insults directed at Shin on online forums starting in June 2024. According to the ruling, threatening remarks such as "I'll pour acid on your face" and "I want to smash your head with a hammer," as well as posts demeaning Shin's family, continued for about two months.

The Seoul Eastern District Court, presiding over the appeal, upheld the eight-month prison sentence from the first trial and ordered the woman's arrest in court. The court stated that "the victim had to carry on her activities amid anxiety and fear that violent and bizarre harm might be inflicted by a defendant she did not even know." The woman sought leniency on grounds of depression and other issues, but the court did not accept this.

Shin's agency, The Present Company, said it would continue to track down the authors of malicious comments, hold them legally accountable, and respond resolutely.