Former boy group UN member and broadcaster Choi Jungwon has completely cleared his name of the adultery allegations raised in 2023. The Supreme Court dismissed the appeal filed by the party who claimed the affair, finally putting an end to the stigma that had followed him for four years.
According to one media outlet, on January 15, the Supreme Court dismissed the appeal filed by B, the husband of A, who had alleged that Choi Jungwon was involved in an affair with his wife.
“After reviewing the original ruling and the grounds for appeal, we find that the arguments presented do not include any of the reasons stipulated under Article 4, Paragraph 1 of the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Procedure for Appeal, or fall under any of the reasons outlined in Paragraph 3.”
The Court also ordered that all litigation costs be borne by B. With this ruling, both Choi Jungwon and A have been fully cleared of all adultery allegations. Previously, the court of first instance ruled in the divorce lawsuit between A and B that A bore primary responsibility for the breakdown of the marriage and ordered her to pay ₩30.0 million KRW (about $20,400 USD) in alimony. However, the appellate court overturned this ruling, stating that “it is difficult to view the relationship between Choi Jungwon and A as an act of infidelity.” The appellate court further ruled that their relationship did not constitute wrongdoing and that the primary responsibility for the marital breakdown lay with B, citing his coercive behavior.
Dissatisfied with the appellate ruling, B filed an appeal with the Supreme Court. However, with the Supreme Court’s dismissal of the appeal, the appellate court’s ruling was automatically upheld and finalized.
Separately from the adultery case, attention has also returned to the fact that during the appellate process, B was found guilty of instigating defamation by instructing others to spread false information, for which he received a criminal conviction and a fine of ₩3.00 million KRW (about $2,040 USD).
Last year, Choi Jungwon stated on his personal account that the mentioned meal was simply a casual gathering among acquaintances, and there was no inappropriate relationship.