[Hankyoreh, October 9 2008] Court dismisses GNP’s lawsuit against Hankyoreh

Ruling party had sued the newspaper for damages on charges of defamation related to BBK case

A court has dismissed a lawsuit filed by the Grand National Party against the Hankyoreh Shinmun over articles in the newspaper about allegations that then GNP presidential candidate Lee Myung-bak was involved in the BBK stock price manipulation scandal. Now the ruling party, the GNP had filed a lawsuit for 1 billion won against the Hankyoreh for “hurting society’s estimation of the party by reporting false facts about candidate Lee.”

In its dismissal, the court wrote that the articles “focused on suggesting there were questions about candidate Lee Myung-bak as an individual... You cannot view the articles as having hurt society’s estimation of the Grand National Party, and therefore the party cannot sue for damages.”