Korean bizman files libel charges vs fellow Koreans

A KOREAN national based in Baguio City recently filed libel raps against other Koreans for allegedly publishing an announcement of refusal to acknowledge him as a member of their community.

Haechoul Joung, a holder of a special resident retiree’s visa in the Philippines, filed criminal charges against Officers and Board of Directors of the United Korean Community Association, namely: Cheong Gap Seok, Kang Moon Won, Kang Chang Soo, Jee Bong Kyu, Choi Jong Soo, Song Kee Pung, Kim Hyeong Bae, Cheong Hoi Kwon, Yun Jae Pil, Lim Bo Hyeok and Choi Kwang Hyu for the publication of a public announcement in their website that he allegedly defrauded a fellow Korean three years ago.

In his affidavit-complaint, Joung claimed he helped Kim Yoo Il execute a real estate mortgage for parcels of land as well as helped register these lands with the Register of Deeds of Baguio City.

After Joung paid all required fees, he gave a copy of the real estate mortgage to Kim Yoo Il showing it was received by the Registry of Deeds of Baguio City. Documents included payments made and receipts.

After the transaction, he said Kim Yoo Il went to his restaurant along Military Cut-off Road informing him that “he went earlier to check with the Register of Deeds to verify the documents and he told me that everything is in order,” but to Joung’s surprise, a month later on November 20, 2009, he received a lot of calls from friends and relatives asking him why he was refused membership by the United Korean Community Association and if he conspired with local government officials and a certain Hyungju Shin to falsify documents to defraud a fellow Korean.

He said he checked the website that showed an announcement bearing a decision from the United Korean Community Association Board that they were barred from being members.

He clarified with the United Korean Community Association Board, which the president in a reply claimed he was the subject of expulsion from the association because of an ongoing case filed by Yoo Il in Korea.

In his complaint, he said “the published decision tends to impute to me and Hyungju Shin of having committed the crime of Falsification of Public Documents by allegedly conspiring with Philippine public officers to prepare a false document on the right on collateral security.

“The publication of the decision on the internet caused maximum damage to my honor and reputation as in fact it has affected my restaurant business because some Koreans who read the published decision have not been patronizing my restaurant as well as [severing] my relations with other Koreans,” he said.

“It has also caused disgrace to me and my family as some fellow Koreans perceived me as a criminal who can no longer be trusted,” he said.

He added when they imputed on them the crime of falsification of public document there was malice because the UKCA board did not conduct any investigation to find out the truth and they were not informed of the nature and cause of the accusation against them.

“The publication of the decision in the internet clearly indicating our names has no other purpose but to cause maximum damage to our honor and reputation despite the fact that the decision is bereft of any factual and/or legal basis,” he said.

The United Korean Community Association officials denied all allegations of Joung in their joint counter affidavit filed last February 18.

They added the decision was made upon complaint filed by a certain Kang Moon Won.

They added their posting of their decision in the website is backed by the Korea Communications Standards Commission as it found Joung’s request to take down the announcement as not damaging as it is a matter of public concern for the Korean community in Baguio.

The association added they share the same views as the Korea Communications Standards Commission and that it was Cheong Gap Seok who posted the announcement in their website.

“That as incumbent officers of the United Korean Community Association where Haechoul Joung served as its 5th president in 2004-2005 working a group or individually, we have done our best to serve our community without any malice or intent of doing harm or damage to anybody either Korean or non-Korean,” they added adding they attest to the truthfulness of their affidavit praying for the dismissal of the complaint against them.