Ki Sung-yueng Awarded 100 Million Won in Defamation Case; Prosecutor Lim Eun-jung Wins 10 Million Won Compensation Appeal Over Blacklist

A South Korean court upheld a ruling in favor of former national soccer team captain Ki Sung-yueng in a civil defamation lawsuit against two former elementary school teammates who accused him of sexual assault. The Seoul Central District Court ordered the defendants to jointly pay Ki 100 million won (approximately $73,000) in damages, partially granting his claim for 500 million won. Separately, Lim Eun-jung, the newly appointed head of the Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors' Office, won an appeal in a lawsuit against the state seeking compensation for alleged unfair disciplinary actions linked to her inclusion on a so-called "prosecutor blacklist." The court reaffirmed a previous decision requiring the state to pay Lim 10 million won in damages. Additionally, prosecutor Ahn Mi-hyun, known for exposing interference in the Kangwon Land recruitment corruption investigation, publicly criticized Lim Eun-jung.