South Korean actress Hwang Jung-eum, 40, has mistakenly accused a young office worker, referred to as Ms. J, of having an affair with her husband.
Hwang erroneously labelled her as a “mistress” in a social media post that quickly went viral, according to a report by the Hankook Ilbo, a Korean-language daily newspaper and affiliate of The Korea Times.
The accusation, made without proper verification, thrust Ms. J into the unwelcome spotlight and subjected her to widespread scrutiny and online harassment.
Hwang, whose marital journey has been widely publicised, experiencing various highs and lows including a near-divorce with her husband Lee Young-don, a professional golfer, inadvertently inflicted harm through her impulsive online post.
Ms. J, a regular corporate employee, found herself bombarded with malicious comments and unwanted attention overnight, causing her considerable distress.
The situation escalated as Ms. J’s personal information was disseminated across the internet. That prompted Ms. J to consider legal action, highlighting the severe consequences of Hwang’s hasty social media activity.
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Ms. J emphasised that she has nothing to do with the allegations and cited a friend with a similar name to Hwang’s husband as the source of the confusion. She firmly stated her lack of any personal association with Lee.
In response, Hwang issued a public apology, acknowledging the misunderstanding and expressing regret for the unintended harm caused by her post.
“I mistakenly attributed a post from an unrelated individual to my husband’s alleged mistress and inadvertently transferred it to my own account. This post contained terms that could be interpreted as insulting,” she said.
Hwang said the individual currently suffering harm has no connection to her husband and is not the mistress in question.
“I sincerely apologise for posting derogatory content and writing things that led to misunderstandings, causing the individual and those around her to receive hateful comments and suffer significant harm due to speculative content.”
However, Hwang’s apology seemed insufficient compared to the extent of harm suffered by Ms. J and others.
“I have not received a proper apology, yet I’m still overwhelmed by the numerous hateful comments, misunderstandings, malicious follow requests, and direct messages. It’s excruciatingly painful,” she said.
Legal experts have pointed out the potential legal ramifications for Hwang, indicating that her actions could be seen as defamation, with serious legal consequences.