“Proving something that did not happen is harder,” said actor Jo Byeong-gyu after losing a defamation lawsuit worth about 4 billion won against a school-violence accuser. On the 1st, the Seoul Central District Court, Civil Division 37, ruled that Jo Byeong-gyu and his former agency HB Entertainment lost the suit against A, the accuser of school violence.

The court dismissed all of their claims and ordered the plaintiffs to bear the litigation costs. Jo Byeong-gyu’s side argued that A damaged his reputation with false posts and sought about 4.0 billion won in damages, plus 200 million won in compensatory damages.

Yet the court found that the evidence Jo Byeong-gyu submitted could not establish that the posts were false. It noted that A’s deletion of the posts did not amount to an admission of falsity, but rather fear of a lawsuit and large damages liability.

Experts stressed that the ruling did not acknowledge the existence of school violence and noted that the 4 billion won figure is symbolic. They said proving the absence of wrongdoing is legally challenging, especially for allegations arising abroad.

Jo Byeong-gyu has appealed the decision, and a second trial is scheduled at Seoul High Court. Some analysts warned that prolonged litigation could constrain the actor’s activities and harm his public image.