A South Korean court on Wednesday ruled in favor of former national soccer team captain Ki Sung-yueng in a civil defamation lawsuit against two former teammates who had accused him of sexual assault during their elementary school years.
The Seoul Central District Court ordered the defendants to pay 100 million won ($72,000) in damages. Ki had sought 500 million won.
Still, the ruling marks a victory for Ki, as the court acknowledged that the defendants had defamed him.
The allegations first surfaced in February 2021, when the two individuals, who had played alongside Ki on an elementary school soccer team in South Jeolla Province, claimed they were sexually assaulted by Ki and another teammate over a six-month period in 2000.
Although the accusers did not mention Ki by name, the descriptions they provided strongly implied he was one of the alleged perpetrators. Ki denied the accusations and responded by filing both a criminal complaint and a civil lawsuit.
In August 2023, police closed the criminal defamation case, citing a lack of evidence. Investigators also concluded there was insufficient evidence to support the sexual assault allegations.
The civil trial, which began in March 2022, was paused during the criminal investigation and resumed in January 2024.
Ki has not yet commented publicly on the court’s decision.
ssh@heraldcorp.com
