Kim Chang-ryul loses defamation lawsuit
According to the Seoul Central District Court on Friday, the 43-year old’s suit against company “A” to receive compensation for reportedly “damaging [his] image” was lost in its first trial.
The claims of the rapper come after he signed a deal to be the spokesperson of a new microwaveable food product called “Kim Chang-ryul’s Pojangmacha” in 2009, which was mostly sold in convenience stores. However, complaints about small servings in the packaging led to the rise of popular internet slang phrases such as “That’s so Chang-ryul” or “Chang-ryul food” to describe rip-offs, especially about food.
The rapper filed the suit against the company in January 2015, asking for approximately 100 million won ($87,000) in damages.
“It is hard to conclude that Kim’s image and reputation was damaged as a result of flimsy packaging from company ‘A’,” said the court. “Although we admit that A’s product had small servings as compared to other convenience store products, it wasn’t enough to conclude that the serving was inadequate either.”
The court added that Kim is often referred to as the “rebel of the entertainment industry,” often damaging his own image through cases such as assault.
By Chung Jin-hong
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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