‘Traitors in Korea’: Olympic champion An San's post about Japanese-style bar sparks lawsuit

Olympic champion An San, left, and An's Instagram story post [YONHAP, SCREEN CAPTURE]

Olympic archery champion An San is being sued for defamation after criticizing a Japanese-style bar on social media.

According to police and media reports, a complaint was lodged against An San by a self-employed business union on Tuesday.

"We have filed a complaint against the player as An's claim that Japanese-style bars are 'traitors' has defamed all well-intentioned self-employed business owners," said a member of the self-employed business union on Tuesday.

"The player insulted not only the bar franchise CEO and owner but also all self-employed businesses selling Japanese-style foods, along with the seven million restaurant owners who are running their stores."

Following the news, the player posted an apology on Instagram the same day.

"I sincerely apologize to everyone who was hurt from my actions, including the brand franchise CEO, the bar owners and those who are working in the food industry," An said. "Forgetting my position as a public figure, I uploaded a post without much thought. I never imagined that it would cause such disappointment and damage."

"If I have the opportunity to do so, I would like to meet the CEO to give my apology in person," she added.

On Saturday, the Olympic champion posted an Instagram story featuring a photo of a sign for a Japanese-style bar named Special Night, designed to resemble an airport sign written in Japanese characters indicating "international departure (bound for Japan)."

"Why are there so many 'traitors' in Korea?" she captioned the photo.

Reports suggest that the sign is located in a Japanese-themed street, with several Japanese restaurants clustered together in a shopping mall in Gwangju.

Although her post was deleted as Instagram stories are automatically removed after 24 hours, users screen-captured it and spread it online.

“Due to these rumors and false accusations, my brand has become a ‘traitor’,” said Kwon Soon-ho, the CEO of the franchise Special Night, on Instagram Sunday.

“We hope that this never happens again and we ask An to give an apology and compensation to be held accountable for her actions,” the union added.

BY KIM JI-YE [kim.jiye@joongang.co.kr]