Shinhwa’s Lee Minwoo Awarded 2.5 Billion Won in Damages From Writer Who Defrauded Him

Shinhwa member Lee Minwoo has won a first-instance civil ruling against a broadcasting writer who defrauded him of approximately 2.5 billion won by falsely claiming she could influence prosecutors handling a previous case involving him.

According to Herald Economy, the Seoul Central District Court’s Civil Division 15 ruled in late July that the writer, identified as A, must pay Lee approximately 2.5 billion won in damages. The amount corresponds to the fraud proceeds previously recognized in A’s criminal case.

The case dates back to June 2019, when Lee was investigated over allegations of sexually molesting women in their 20s at a bar. Police forwarded the case to prosecutors after concluding that the allegations warranted referral. The following day, A told Lee that she could use connections inside the prosecution to help him receive a non-indictment decision and took 250 million won from him.

Over the following year, A continued obtaining money from Lee under various pretexts, including supposed costs for arranging a high-ranking prosecutor, preventing scrutiny from the prosecution’s inspection division, and analyzing CCTV footage. Lee ultimately received a non-indictment disposition in December 2019 independently of A’s actions, but A continued the scheme by claiming prosecutors might reverse the decision and demanding additional money.

A also allegedly told Lee to borrow money from a wealthy friend, hand over control of his bank account, sell luxury goods for cash, and take out a loan using his home as collateral. Investigators determined that A had no ability to influence prosecutors and never intended to use the money for such purposes. The total amount obtained over roughly a year reached approximately 2.5 billion won.

In the related criminal case, the Supreme Court finalized A’s seven-year prison sentence last July and ordered the forfeiture of approximately 2.5 billion won in criminal proceeds. Lee later filed a separate civil damages suit.

A argued that being required to pay Lee after the criminal forfeiture would amount to double compensation. The civil court rejected that argument, explaining that criminal forfeiture is a punishment designed to deprive an offender of illegally obtained assets, while civil damages compensate the victim and serve a different purpose.

The civil judgment is not yet final. Both sides have appealed, and the case is currently pending before the Seoul High Court.

Netizen Reactions

The sampled Nate News comments included support for Lee Minwoo, criticism of financial-crime penalties, and skepticism over how difficult it may be to actually recover the money.

1. She probably doesn’t have the money anyway, but even if she does, she’ll have put it all under someone else’s name and won’t give up a single won ㅋ That’s how the laws in Hell Joseon work ㅋ

2. Our country is a crazy money-worshipping society where money is everything, yet it’s endlessly lenient toward financial crimes. In a country where people say there’s nothing money can’t do, taking someone else’s money doesn’t just ruin that person—it can destroy an entire family. The punishment for fraudsters needs to be raised drastically.

3. Aw, congrats Minwoo ㅠ I really hope you get every last bit of it back.

4. But honestly, I can’t help thinking Lee Minwoo was pretty foolish too. After losing 250 million won at first, he just kept giving money until it went over 2.2 billion won.

5. But if I were truly innocent from the start, I don’t think I’d keep handing over money whenever someone asked. Even if there was something that made me uneasy, why not just go through the normal legal process instead of paying money under the table and getting scammed... sigh.

6. You can commit jeonse fraud worth tens of billions of won and still have a hard time getting seven years?? I guess because prosecutors and the courts were involved, they actually handed down a decent sentence this time.

7. Lee Minwoo-ssi, make sure you get your money back from that scammer woman~ I’m rooting for you.

8. Wow... Lee Minwoo’s mental stress must have been seriously no joke?? Fraudsters should seriously be punished without exception.

9. Even if you win a lawsuit, actually getting the money is so difficult. They hide everything and use bank accounts protected from seizure.

10. Lee Minwoo was treated so unfairly. Now I hope he can finally have some peace of mind and make a great comeback.

Source: Nate News