Actor Song Ha-yoon. [Yonhap]
Actor Song Ha-yoon. [Yonhap]

Police have decided not to refer to prosecutors a defamation case that actor Song Ha-yoon filed against a former classmate who accused her of school bullying. Song has challenged the decision, and the case has since been forwarded to prosecutors.

Seoul's Suseo Police Station decided on Feb. 19 not to refer the case to prosecutors, according to Money Today. Song had filed a complaint against the classmate, identified only as A, on charges including defamation under the Information and Communications Network Act, obstruction of business and intimidation.

Police cleared A of the defamation charge on the grounds that the conduct did not constitute a crime, and dismissed the obstruction of business and intimidation charges for lack of evidence. A "does not constitute a crime" ruling is a non-prosecution disposition applied when the alleged conduct meets the elements of an offense but is justified by circumstances such as self-defense or other lawful conduct.

Song contested the decision, prompting the case to be transferred to prosecutors for further investigation.

A first raised the school bullying allegations against Song in April 2024 on JTBC's "Sageon Banjang." A claimed that in August 2004, when she was a second-year high school student, Song — then a year ahead of her — summoned her to a playground and slapped her repeatedly for about 90 minutes. A also alleged that Song had been forcibly transferred to another school before graduation after being implicated in a separate group assault.

Song's representatives flatly denied the allegations, saying she had no acquaintance with A and had never committed any act of violence. Citing confirmation from the homeroom teacher at the time, among other grounds, Song's side also dismissed the forced-transfer claim as groundless and filed the complaint against A in August last year.


paq@heraldcorp.com