A South Korean court has ordered a reporter to pay former THE BOYZ member Ju Haknyeon 200 million won ($149,000) in damages over false reports alleging that he had paid for sex.
The Seoul Central District Court ruled partially in Ju’s favor in a damages lawsuit against reporter Choi, who published the allegations, according to legal sources on October 28th. The court ordered Choi to pay Ju 200 million won.
In June 2025, Choi published articles claiming that Ju had paid for sex with a Japanese entertainer who previously worked as an adult video actress. The reports also alleged that Ju had initially denied the claims before later admitting to the alleged encounter.
Following the allegations, Ju’s agency at the time, One Hundred, announced his departure from THE BOYZ and the termination of his exclusive contract.
Ju subsequently filed a 1 billion won ($747,000) lawsuit against Choi, seeking compensation for the damage caused by the reports.
The court found that both the claim that Ju had paid for sex and the claim that he later admitted to it were false.
“The conclusion that Ju engaged in prostitution based solely on what Choi claimed to have verified during the reporting process is an excessive leap in logic,” the court stated, adding that the information Choi said he had confirmed was insufficient to establish that Ju had paid for sex.
The court also found that the evidence Choi submitted did not provide sufficient grounds to believe the reports were true.
It further criticized Choi for failing to make adequate efforts to verify the facts before publishing allegations that could seriously damage the reputation of an idol singer.
Choi argued that the reports were either true or based on reasonable grounds to believe they were true, citing conversations with Cha Ga Won, the head of One Hundred Label. However, the court rejected the argument.
“Choi merely presented the draft article and asked for confirmation,” the court said. “He did not verify whether there were any circumstances suggesting that Ju had paid for sex, whether specific evidence related to the alleged prostitution existed, or what that evidence was.”
The court concluded that Choi had damaged Ju’s reputation by publishing false information and that the reports had caused Ju significant emotional distress. It set the damages at 200 million won.
Meanwhile, Choi was indicted without detention in May on charges of defaming Ju by reporting false information about the alleged prostitution. The reporter is also facing a separate criminal trial over the case.
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