Actor Hwang Jung-min (Getty Images)
Actor Hwang Jung-min (Getty Images)

A woman in her 40s who was indicted on charges of stalking South Korean actor Hwang Jung-min was fined 6 million won ($4,500) and ordered to attend 40 hours of stalking prevention education on Tuesday.

The court rejected the woman's claim that she and Hwang were in a mutual relationship, finding her guilty of stalking.

"The number and frequency of messages were sufficient to cause the victim anxiety and fear," the court said. "The defendant appeared to have known that the victim did not want further contact."

The court explained its ruling, saying that even if there was a legitimate reason for the defendant to contact the victim, the content as well as the frequency of the messages exceeded justification.

Hwang filed a complaint against the woman in August 2025 after she uploaded personal recordings of their phone calls and screenshots of their KakaoTalk messages on social media. She claimed that she had been having an affair with Hwang since the year prior and that she had been emotionally and sexually exploited.

In February, the court issued a summary order imposing a 3 million won fine on the woman, who objected and requested a formal trial. The prosecution sought 10 million won.

The defendant did not attend Tuesday's hearing. Her lawyer was present to plead not guilty, arguing that Hwang's refusal to be contacted had not been fully established.

The number of phone calls between Hwang and the woman emerged as a key issue.

Her defense said the two had 77 phone calls between May 2024 and May 2025, 62 of which were initiated by Hwang, arguing that the relationship involved mutual communication, not one-sided stalking.

According to an analysis by South Korean media outlet Dispatch, however, Hwang's primary reason for initiating the 62 calls was to ask the woman to stop repeatedly contacting him or sending messages. The report said that the purpose and the context of the calls were more relevant than simply looking at who called.


mjcha@heraldcorp.com