Kim Gyuri breaks silence as the ruling becomes final; other stars respond

The National Intelligence Service acknowledged state responsibility in the high court ruling over the culture blacklist under the Lee Myung-bak era and, having dropped its appeal and issued an official apology, Kim Gyuri shared her reaction on social media. On November 9, she wrote, “Finally the ruling is final. How many years have I endured? I want this to end now.”

Earlier, the government agency released a press note titled “We apologize to the victims of the culture blacklist and all citizens,” in line with the court’s finding that the state bore responsibility in the case brought by Moon Sung-geun, Kim Mi-hwa and 34 others. The court held that the state, jointly with the former president and the former head of the National Intelligence Service, should compensate the plaintiffs with 5 million won each.

Moon Sung-geun and Kim Mi-hwa had argued that the blacklist, compiled and managed by the agency to exclude certain figures in the culture sector, caused mental and material harm; they filed the lawsuit in November 2017. While the 1st trial did not recognize state responsibility due to prescription, the appellate court did.

The National Intelligence Service decided not to appeal to the Supreme Court last month, stating that they sincerely apologize to the plaintiffs and to the public for the harms caused by this incident, and will strive to ensure the agency is trusted by the people.

Kim Gyuri further described the experiences tied to the blacklist, saying, “Even just hearing the word ‘blacklist’ would make me tremble. There were days when strange people lingered in front of my home, contracts for projects were suddenly canceled, threats circulated on social media, and even phone tapping caused hardship,” adding, “If an apology has been made, to whom was it directed? The wounds remain, and it feels hollow.” She also expressed gratitude to the lawyers and senior colleagues who endured hardship from the blacklist, offering them warm support.

Kim Mi-hwa, in the immediate aftermath of the ruling, wrote on her social media that “the state’s wrongdoings must be acknowledged in court and recorded in history.” Moon Sung-geun also commented that he hopes a culture crackdown will not return to power in the future.