South Korean Soccer Star Ki Sung-yueng Wins Defamation Case, Speaks Out on Instagram

South Korean soccer player Ki Sung-yueng has won a defamation lawsuit in the first trial regarding allegations of sexual assault against junior players. He shared his thoughts on the matter.

On July 10, Ki took to Instagram to express his feelings, stating, "I don't know how the past four years have gone by. I was able to endure and wait for such a long time because I believed that the truth would eventually come out." He added, "Proving something that didn't happen is incredibly difficult and exhausting, but I have learned that truth prevails and lies are eventually exposed."

Ki continued, "Many advised me not to pursue this long and arduous battle, but living a life of disgrace and injustice, being misunderstood and ridiculed due to false information, was harder than death." He expressed his gratitude to those who believed in and supported him.

In February 2021, Ki was accused by multiple media outlets of sexually assaulting junior players around 2001. In response, Ki filed a defamation lawsuit against the junior players who spread the false information in March 2021.

In a photo shared by Ki, his legal representative, Attorney Tae Seung-mo from KCL Law Firm, stated, "After more than four years, the court has confirmed that the allegations of sexual assault were false." The court's ruling acknowledged that claims such as 'Ki Sung-yueng sexually assaulted juniors' and 'Ki Sung-yueng coerced and threatened witnesses after media reports' were false, and there was no evidence to support the allegations.

Attorney Tae added, "Those who spread the false information claimed it was for public interest, but the court found no content in their press releases that highlighted the corruption in the soccer world. Instead, the focus was on falsely exposing Ki Sung-yueng as having committed sexual assault and immoral acts of coercion and threats."

He further stated, "Proving the non-existence of something is nearly impossible, yet Ki Sung-yueng successfully demonstrated that the alleged sexual assault did not and could not have occurred."

Additionally, Attorney Tae emphasized, "This ruling is significant as it shows how Ki Sung-yueng uncovered the truth amidst long-standing misunderstandings and speculation, and firmly responded to malicious attempts to damage his reputation, ultimately restoring his honor. The shadow of falsehood does not linger long, and the truth will inevitably come to light."

Meanwhile, Ki Sung-yueng recently transferred from FC Seoul to Pohang Steelers and has been married to actress Han Hye-jin since 2013. The couple has a daughter named Si-on.