Loco Defamation Case: Court Fines Online User $3,600 Over False Claims

A South Korean court has issued a summary order imposing a fine of 5 million won (about $3,600) on a person who repeatedly posted false claims about rapper Loco and his wife online.

According to a Dispatch report on Aug. 28, Judge Seo Young-ae of the Daegu District Court's Seobu Branch issued the order on Aug. 19. The defendant, identified only as A, was charged with defamation under South Korea's information and communications network law.

According to the report, A posted false claims about the couple five times on an app message board in October last year. The posts described Loco as 'a shameless liar' and repeatedly claimed the couple had entered a sham marriage.

The court noted that Loco and his wife had registered their marriage in September 2022 with a genuine intention to marry. It found that A had posted false information to defame the couple, damaging their reputations.

Dispatch also reported that A targeted the couple with hundreds of similar messages through their personal social media accounts and direct messages.

Loco announced his marriage to a non-celebrity, a longtime friend, in September 2022. He has referenced his wife's nickname 'Soy Latte' in the lyrics of his songs, including 'Love' and 'Only Now', as a public show of affection.